


A New Dawn at Hogwarts

by sevysgal



Series: Saga of the Snapes [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Mystery, POV Multiple, The Golden Trio Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-07-22
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-06-25 22:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 176,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19755316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevysgal/pseuds/sevysgal
Summary: Part Two of The Saga of the Snapes: Mysterious dreams, threatening letters, and an unsteady relationship with her father all combine to make Aurora's first year at Hogwarts rough. Can Snape find out who's behind the threats before it's too late? And will their already tenuous bond survive the strain? Dual POV: Snape / Aurora





	1. Acceptance

Dark thunderheads crept through the sky over Spinner's End, casting a pall over the already dreary street and its surrounding buildings. To the rare motorist who traversed the main road through the desolate factory town, the derelict houses with their unkempt gardens and rotting siding would seem the last place any person would want to call home. But for one small girl watching the approaching storm with her round hazel eyes through the grimy window of a particularly dismal house at the end of a long row, Spinner's End and the isolated town around it _was_ home. It was where her father had brought her to live after her mother had died, and where she had remained, with her father's brother and her godfather to watch over her.

Aurora sighed; she was _bored_. The summer holiday was always touch and go, the weeks from late June until the end of August souring the normally jovial atmosphere of the house. She glanced over at the source of the change: her father. He sat in his armchair beside the fire, his face hidden behind the latest edition of _The Daily Prophet_.

Most of the year he was away, teaching Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, although he was on holiday, his posture as he sat was stiff and formal, as though he weren't at all comfortable in his surroundings. She knew exactly how he felt. Whenever he arrived, she felt on edge, careful not to do anything that might set off his notoriously nasty temper. Usually she stayed close to her uncle, Steven, or her godfather, Malichi, but they had both left on mysterious errands. No amount of her begging convinced them to allow her to tag along, and so she sat alone with the father she didn't really know, watching the clouds.

In her eleven-year-old mind, it made perfect sense that should she sit there long enough, he would be bound to notice, and possibly even speak to her. The reality, however, was that she had been in the same room with him all morning, and he hadn't once looked up from the paper.

Aurora turned her attention back to the overcast day, sighing again. _This is pointless._ As she stood, intending on retreating to her room with a book, she spotted an owl in the distance. There were no other wizarding families—or Muggle ones, for that matter—within miles, which meant whatever the owl carried was for one of the four inhabitants of her house. Her eyes followed the bird's progress as it headed toward the windowsill at which she sat. Larger than Kenoa, the family owl, the approaching messenger had feathers blacker than the curtain of stringy hair that framed her father's face. She’d never seen it before.

Her father looked up as the owl landed on the windowsill and pecked at the glass. Aurora looked to him for approval, and with his curt nod, she spun the lock and allowed the mysterious guest to enter. It didn’t fly over to her father, as she’d expected, but instead dropped a letter onto her lap before again taking flight. She blinked, staring at the envelope.

 _Who’d be writing to me?_ Every person she knew lived in the house. Aurora picked up the letter and examined the looped handwriting on the envelope. It sparked a glint of recognition, and when she turned the envelope over, a soft ‘oh’ of surprise left her lips. The seal was unmistakable—it appeared on every letter to her father from Hogwarts. But this was addressed to _her_. She glanced up again, but her father had already turned back to his paper, seemingly disinterested in the letter's contents.

Aurora had interest enough for both of them. She tore into the envelope, taking in only the first few words before leaping from her chair and crossing the room to where her father sat. When he didn’t acknowledge her, she cleared her throat.

"What is it?" he asked, still buried in the paper. 

"This letter just arrived, Father—it’s from Hogwarts."

"Your point?"

"It was addressed to me."

"Then you would do well to open it.” His tone was sharp, his irritation clear.

"I have."

He sniffed and continued to read.

"It says I've been accepted."

Her father looked up from his paper, his black eyes snapping with impatience.

"And?"

Aurora looked down at the letter, then back at him, hope buoying in her chest. "It's not a mistake, is it? I mean, you'd already said that with you teaching there—"

His eyes held hers. She thought she saw the corner of his lip twitch, but it was pulled down into his customary frown too quickly to be certain.

“It isn’t prudent to imply that the deputy headmistress is in the habit of making mistakes.” He snapped the paper out and went back to it, rolling his eyes and sighing when Aurora spoke again.

“So—I’m not going to Beauxbatons?”

“Obviously.”

Aurora had the sudden urge to throw her arms around his neck and hug him—but was sure his reaction would not be pleasant. "Th-thank you for changing your mind.”

There was no response from behind the paper.

Aurora wandered back to her seat by the window, numb with shock. _I’m going to_ _Hogwarts_. Now, more than before, she was eager for her uncle and godfather to return. Both were Hogwarts alumni, and Malichi had been Potions Master during most of her father’s attendance. Their excitement when she told them, she knew, would rival her own.

Malichi and Steven arrived home within moments of each other, just before dinner. Aurora waited only until they'd removed their traveling cloaks before rushing to them and telling them her news, earning a disapproving grunt from her father, now buried in a Potions text. Far from sharing her excitement, however, both men turned startled gazes above her head to her father.

"That's some news," Steven said. His usual cheery tone was curt as he stared at his brother, who remained unbothered.

Aurora was astonished at his reaction—though he resembled her father in every physical way, Steven's personality was the complete reverse of his older brother's, and he was normally warm and quick to laugh. The expression on his face now made it clear that laughter was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Indeed it is, Piccolina." Malichi diffused her uncle's brusque reply with the use of his pet name for her. With his long grey hair flowing past his shoulders and the lines that leant character to his features, her godfather seemed frail, but Aurora knew better. There was a glint in his eyes that spoke of a storm about to be unleashed. He shifted his eyes to Aurora after shooting a warning glance towards Steven. “Let’s you and I go and get supper together, and leave your father and uncle to talk, eh?”

Aurora frowned but followed him into the kitchen. She glanced back at her uncle, his fists clenched at his sides. None of this made sense. "Malichi, doesn't Uncle Steven want me to go to Hogwarts?"

"We all want what is best for you, Piccolina. The decision had been made to send you to Beauxbatons. Your uncle is surprised by the change, that is all."

"But -"

"Ah, ah.” He held up a finger to stop her. “Aren't _you_ pleased to be going to Hogwarts?"

“Oh, yes!”

"Then leave well enough alone, child. Do not ask so many questions." He turned to the cupboard, a signal to Aurora that, for him, the conversation was at an end.

Her frown deepened as her excitement waned.

Severus clenched his jaw, but kept his eyes trained on the page in front of him. He’d made the decision unilaterally, without consulting or informing Steven or Malichi, knowing he was putting off this inevitable conversation.

As soon as Aurora’s and Malichi’s footsteps faded into the kitchen, Steven advanced toward him. "What happened to sending her to Beauxbatons?"

"I wasn’t aware I needed your approval to obtain the best education for my child."

" _You're_ the one who suggested it!"

"And I changed my mind." Severus lifted an icy gaze to his brother. "I concluded close proximity was preferable to the chance that she would be recognized and without protection hundreds of miles from her family."

“Because being close to her has worked well for you so far?” Steven’s words bit through Severus’s calm.

“I don’t need to explain my decision to you.”

Steven let out a frustrated puff of air, throwing his hands up in the air. "What about all of that worry about the children of your former colleagues? What if one of them was to discover who she was? You said yourself that they wouldn't think twice about…she isn't safe where they can find her, Severus, and you damn well know it!"

Steven's eyes held a mixture of emotions as Severus met them head-on—fear, anger, concern—nevertheless, Severus had made his decision only after much consideration, and he would not be swayed.

"I wouldn’t place her in harm's way," Severus said through gritted teeth. "And _you_ damn well know _that_. While Albus Dumbledore is Headmaster, the school is virtually impenetrable. She will be well protected there."

Steven opened his mouth to say more, and Severus braced himself for another round, but Malichi’s voice from the kitchen doorway halted their discussion.

“Supper’s on.” Malichi’s voice was low as he looked back over his shoulder into the kitchen. "And the two of you would do well to attempt to conceal your animosity for an hour. She’s not a dolt.” He glared at them, making Severus feel as though he were a first year found out after curfew, then walked back into the kitchen.

Severus stood from his chair, rolling his head to the side in irritation when Steven blocked his path to the kitchen.

“This had better be because it’s what’s best for Aurora, and not because you wanted to do something just to irritate me,” Steven said.

“Yes, Steven, because every decision I make concerning my daughter is actually about what will irritate you the most.” He closed his book and tossed it down onto his chair. “As evidenced by the fact that I’ve allowed you to stay in this house for the last ten years. Clearly an ulterior motive to inconvenience _you_.” Severus pushed past him before Steven could respond.

The tension at supper was apparent, even to Aurora. Her father didn't speak to any of them, and her uncle refused to look up from his plate. Aurora’s excitement about receiving her letter was gone. Now it felt as if a lead weight had settled in her stomach. _Is it going to be like this the rest of the summer?_

"Aurora.”

Her father’s voice startled her, and she flinched, dropping the spoonful of peas she'd been holding to the floor. He sighed, his narrowed eyes following her movements as she cleaned up her mess.

When she was seated at the table again, he cleared his throat. "We need to discuss how you’re to behave at Hogwarts."

Maybe it was the disappointment, maybe it was the tense atmosphere, but Aurora found herself irritated—and willing to act on it. She met his glare. "I'm confused. I know I don’t get out much, but I think I know how to behave around other people."

Her father's jaw clenched, and Aurora braced herself for his sharp retort.

"It isn’t your behavior," Malichi said, "as much as how you present yourself to the students and faculty."

"Oh.” Her heart sank even further. Now she understood. "I'm going to be Aurora Rinkle, then?" It was the alias she was forced to adopt on the off chance that she had to give her name to anyone.

Her father nodded. “And you’ll use the glamour potion.”

Aurora tried to choke down the lump that rose in her throat. "But—the Hogwarts letter. It was addressed to Aurora Snape, not Aurora Rinkle.”

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall know your true name. But you are enrolled as Rinkle.”

She swallowed, staring down at her plate. “Am I ever going to be allowed to be myself?"

Her father’s voice took on its usual irritable tone. "Nobody is telling you not to be. All we require is that you do not tell people that you're my daughter. That has nothing to do with how you choose to act."

"You're wrong!" She surprised even herself by standing up from her chair. Her eyes focused on him, anger and hurt flaring. Realizing that she had shouted, she lowered her voice. "It's going to be the same as it is every time I'm allowed to leave the house: a rehearsed answer to every question. It's hard enough to lie convincingly for a few hours; how can I be myself when I don't look like myself, and have to be careful about what I say every second of every day?" Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she ignored them. "When I got the letter, I thought just maybe, things would be different. Stupid me. Why would you suddenly decide to admit that I'm your daughter, just because I'm going to be in the same building with you for ten months?"

Severus was too stunned to stop her when she ran from the room. She’d never spoken out of turn—at least, not to him. Steven glared at him and pushed his chair back, no doubt to follow Aurora.

“She’s _my_ daughter, Steven."

"Then act like it, you idiot! Go up there and tell her the truth about why she has to hide who she is. Sooner or later, she’s going to return your silence with her own, and you’re going to wish you’d spoken up. " He threw his napkin on the table and stood when Severus said nothing. “I have to go. Malichi, you’ll go up?”

Malichi nodded. Steven exhaled, cast a look up the stairs, then stalked out, slamming the door behind him. Severus leaned back in his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples.

"She has already begun to ask questions, son," Malichi said. "I suggest you start being a bit more forthcoming with her."

"She'll do as she's told, Malichi. The details need not concern her."

"Not if you want her to loathe you by the end of term, no."

Severus closed his eyes, wishing—not for the first time—that for just one day, nobody would contradict him.

"Do me the favor of allowing me to rear my daughter in the manner in which I see fit." He stood, dinner untouched, and headed upstairs to the sanctity of his bedroom. The one place in the whole blasted house where he could find peace.

He hesitated as he neared Aurora's door. _I should speak with her._ But surely nothing he could say would comfort her—he was not going to change his mind about the alias or the glamour. Steven’s words rang in his ears, and he found himself _opening_ the door without bothering to knock.

"Aurora."

She sat on her bed, facing the window, but turned toward him when he spoke, the sunset casting an eerie red glow over her face. A cold sense of foreboding washed over him.

"Goodnight," he said, quickly shutting the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, his heart pounding. He didn’t believe in signs, but the bloody pall which had passed over her face nevertheless stuck in his mind, haunting his dreams.

Breakfast the next morning was even more terse than dinner had been. Aurora refused to even look at her father, and her uncle’s absence bothered her. He worked most nights as a Muggle stage magician, performing sleights of hand and other tricks that did not breach the International Statues of Secrecy, but he was typically back well before she was awake.

She hadn't even volunteered to cook breakfast—something she usually begged to do. Instead, she simply re-read her Hogwarts letter until her father called her in to the kitchen. She ate quickly, not saying a word to either her father or godfather, then laid her dishes in the sink and went back up to her room. Neither man made any effort to speak with her, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Her father's conversations normally consisted of laying down rules and became awkward and forced when the subject turned to anything else. As for her godfather, Malichi spoke only when he felt it necessary. It was Steven who was her consoler, Steven who made everything seem well again. But Steven was nowhere to be found.

September first—three short weeks away. Aurora looked through the list of items she’d need for the term, her excitement building again. Hogwarts had always been an almost mythical place, her uncle’s stories of his days there filled with excitement and adventure, the place her father clearly preferred above the crowded house at Spinner’s End. And soon, she’d be there, embarking on adventures of her own—despite the fake name and face she’d be burdened with.

Her door swung open, her father and his ever-present scowl appearing.

"What?" she asked.

"Mind your tone. I do not want last night's episode to become a regular occurrence."

She barked out a sharp, humorless laugh. "What are you going to do? Put me on restriction? I'm not allowed to go anywhere, and you've made sure I don’t have any friends, so what good will it do?" 

His eyes narrowed, his scowl deepening. "It's not too late to send you to Beauxbatons."

Aurora bit back a retort before he made good on his promise.

"Steven is going to take you to Diagon Alley. I suggest you get ready immediately if you wish to go."

Aurora’s spirits soared. Steven was back. And spending a day with her uncle, out from under her father’s disapproving glare, was just what she needed. She jumped from the bed and ran to her mirror to put up her hair. Her father’s reflection, a vial in his outstretched hand, tempered her enthusiasm. Aurora knew without being told what the milky white potion swirling inside the container was. She'd had to take it her entire life—any time she stepped foot outside of the house.

The reasoning had never been made clear, and when she asked, her uncle and godfather referred the matter back to her father's wishes. And her father was not very receptive to _any_ questions. With dismay, she drank the potion, and then watched her reflection as it took effect. The long auburn hair she'd inherited from her mother became thin, blonde, and shorter than her father's, and the upturned button nose turned down and elongated. Almond-shaped green eyes stared back at her, and without a word to her father, she brushed past him and hurried down the stairs to where her uncle was waiting.

"Let's go." She grabbed his arm and began dragging him to the door, desperate to get out of the house.

"Ra-"

Aurora stopped, turning at the use of his pet name for her.

Steven smiled. "You don't want to _walk_ all the way to London, do you?" 

"Why not?" she asked, keeping her voice low as her father descended the stairs. "It's not like it's going to be any fun around _here_ for a while."

She smiled back at him as he guffawed loudly—maybe last night hadn't ruined the entire summer after all.

Steven held out a cannister of Floo powder. “Let’s take the quicker route anyway, okay?”

Aurora tossed a pinch of the powder into the fire and stepped into the green flames. “Diagon Alley!”

She loved traveling by Floo. Her pulse quickened and her mood improved as she zipped along the network, stopping and jumping out into the Leaky Cauldron. Her uncle was only a moment behind her, brushing off his clothes before he was completely out of the flames.

“There now.” He chucked her under the chin. “A smile again. Let’s see if we can’t keep it there, eh?”

Aurora’s smile widened. Away from the oppressive dourness at Spinner’s End, she felt lighter, almost as though there’d been no unpleasantness the night before. She took his hand and led the way into Diagon Alley, the bustle of the thoroughfare further elevating her mood.

Every time they came there was something new to see, whether it was the newest collection of books at Flourish and Blotts or the latest in self-stirring cauldrons at Potage’s. Aurora pulled Steven toward the bookstore—by far the shop that was the most difficult for her uncle to drag her from. Usually they left it for the end of their trip, but Steven was busy reading her school list and didn’t notice where they were until she released his hand to begin perusing the shelves.

“Really, Ra? We can’t spend all day in here. Ten minutes!” he called to her as she wandered away, her fingers grazing the spines as she walked past them.

Her disappointment at having to be disguised faded as she read the titles. She hadn't been to Diagon Alley in nearly six months, and it seemed every other book was a new title. She rounded a stack of precariously balanced books on kneazles, and saw a battered sign, nearly hidden by shadows at the very rear of the store. It read ‘Muggle Books - ½ price'.

Aurora made her way to the deserted aisle. Standing directly beneath the sign, she devoured the titles that loomed before her. Some she had heard of, even read, but there were several she knew nothing about. She selected one at random, pulling it from the shelf and scanning the synopsis on the back cover before replacing it and pulling the next down.

" _There_ you are!" Her uncle’s face wore a look of resigned indulgence as he crossed the crowded shop to stand beside her, a stack of textbooks in his arms.

" _Muggle_ books, Uncle Steven!" Aurora said, pulling yet another from its spot. "Oh! It's a cookbook!" She flipped through the pages, drinking in each recipe.

"Ra, we haven't the time—I've got all the books you’ll need, but this was just the start of your list."

"Can't I get one of these as well?" she asked, giving him what she hoped was a woebegone expression. For a moment, it looked as though he was going to refuse, but he shook his head and smirked.

"Oh, all right. You know I can't resist that puppy-dog stare. But just one," he said as she pulled several from the shelves.

After five excruciating minutes of being unable to decide, she closed her eyes and selected one at random. It was the thickest of the group, which meant it might just last until the end of summer.

"Let's get over to the till, then."

Steven took her arm and guided her through the throngs of customers. They stopped at the counter—which Aurora could barely see over—and he set their purchases down. The clerk looked down his bulbous nose at the books on the counter, then turned his eyes to Aurora.

"Daughter off to Hogwarts, sir?" he asked, his dull blue eyes surveying her critically.

"Yes. Well, she isn't my daughter, but yes, she's been accepted at Hogwarts this term."

"Bit of goblin in her, I reckon?" the clerk asked.

Steven frowned. His jaw tightened, but his voice was pleasant and even when he spoke. "Merlin's beard, no. All wizard."

The clerk cocked an eyebrow and looked skeptical, and Aurora’s fists clenched at her sides. She knew she was short, even for eleven—one of the aspects of her true appearance that the glamour potion did _not_ alter—but she was sick and tired of getting stares of incredulity when people learned her age.

"Excuse _me_ ," she addressed him through clenched teeth, prepared and eager to tell the clerk off. "Just because someone _happens_ to be—” 

Steven cast a furrowed brow in her direction to silence her as he dug out the coins from his pocket and pressed them into the clerk's hand.

"Thank you," Steven said, scooping up the books—now tightly wrapped in brown paper—and taking Aurora’s arm as before. This time, though, his grip was firmer.

Aurora cast a glare over her shoulder at the clerk, who had already turned to the next customer in line. Only when they'd passed through the doors of the bookshop did Steven release his grip.

“You know the rules. No brawls in public.” He grinned at her, but it did nothing to quell her irritation.

"What do you want me to do? Pretend that I didn't get what he meant?" She stuffed her still-balled hands into the pockets of her jeans, glaring into the shop.

"I'd expect you'd be used to it by now."

She turned back to her uncle, jaw dropping open. "So just because I'm short I have to get _used_ to people treating me like I couldn't possibly be human?"

"Of course not—but getting angry doesn't solve anything."

"Makes me feel better," she said.

They walked down the street to Madam Malkin’s robes, an unseen bell chiming their arrival into the shop. Steven greeted Madam Malkin, and she peered around his shoulder at Aurora, then nodded.

“Into the back, then,” she said, leading them through the shop to a room with several raised platforms.

"In any case," Steven said cheerfully, taking a seat at the front of the room, facing the platforms, "you go off on your classmates, you're liable to end up with an extra set of arms. Mind you, they could be useful in keeping your room tidy."

His words had the effect she knew he wanted—her grimace of fury softened as she struggled to keep from laughing.

"Might need _six_ arms, though, at the rate your messes spread."

She was nearly there, her mouth twitching up at the corners.

"I'll write Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure there's bound to be a hex for that sort of thing. Make sure it gets spread around the school, so there are plenty of opportunities."

Aurora clamped a hand over her mouth as an involuntary snicker emerge. Too late—Steven had heard it and beamed triumphantly at her as Madam Malkin slipped a robe twice Aurora’s size over her head.

Steven kept up a diatribe of quirky ideas on things Aurora should be on the lookout for at school, effectively keeping Aurora’s anger in check while Madam Malkin pinned the hem.

"Don't move, dear," Madam Malkin said as Aurora began to fidget.

Aurora begrudgingly stood still, though she continued to shoot looks towards Steven, who finally began to laugh at her.

"It will look fine when she's done," he said. "Madam Malkin is the best robe maker in London."

The old witch beamed with this praise, and began moving a bit faster, finally standing back and nodding with approval. "You're done now, dear. Let’s just slip this off, and I’ll get it sewn up. Come back in an hour, and I’ll have a set ready for you.”

Aurora pulled off the robe and jumped down, dragging Steven from the shop.

"I thought we'd never get out of there!" she said, sinking onto a bench dramatically.

“A near thing,” Steven said with a wink. He frowned as he glanced down at his watch. “But it took longer than I expected. I have an appointment this afternoon, so no more mucking around, right?” He grinned as he said it, prodding her with a hooked finger in just the right spot to make her giggle.

Their next stop was the apothecary, and as they crossed the threshold, Aurora realized she'd never been inside. The interior was dimly lit and smelled of old socks, freshly dug earth, and dragon dung. Along the walls were shelves filled with jars of indiscernible ingredients, some of the labels faded and peeling away. Barrels hid some of the shelves from view; the ones closest to Aurora and Steven were filled to the brim with beetle eyes, dragon livers, and rat tails. Aurora bent to examine everything, disappointed when Steven hurried her out what seemed like seconds later, her supplies tucked under his arm.

"There were loads of ingredients in there!" Aurora said.

Steven’s hand pressed lightly against her back as he steered her through the other shoppers. "If you know how to brew them, Potions can be used for just about anything."

His words cut through Aurora’s excitement. "That's why Father enjoys them," she said. "They give him control—they even let him create the perfect daughter."

Steven stopped mid-stride and stared down at her, his mouth open. He let out a huff of air and shook his head as he led her to a bench. His hand pressed on her shoulder, forcing her to sit, then he took the spot beside her.

"Ra, look at me."

She wasn’t sure why she’d never thought of it before. Was it why he’d forbidden Malichi from teaching her anything about Potions while he was at Hogwarts? Because he didn’t want her to circumvent his efforts to mold her into what _he_ wanted her to be?

“Ra.”

She lifted her head slowly and looked at her uncle.

"Your father—he loves you. Just as you are."

“If he did, I wouldn’t have to pretend we aren’t related all the time. I wouldn’t have to be— _this_.” She waved a hand over her body as the tears welled up in her eyes. _No. I’m not going to cry. Nothing’s changed._ Except it had. She’d always assumed her father was distant because he was that way with everyone. But maybe it was more than that. Maybe her mere existence irritated him. The tears escaped, and she wiped at them, irritated with herself.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Steven pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but how could he not? You're smart, funny, and beautiful. Of course, you get your good looks from me." He tossed his head and posed pompously.

With his short-cropped inky hair, coal-black eyes, tall lanky frame, and hooked nose, he and her father were mirror images of each other—and neither held any resemblance to her.

She forced a smile, knowing that was what he wanted from her.

"Now, we'll hear no more nonsense about your father wanting you to be anything than what you are, okay? C'mon." He stood and offered her his hand. "Let's get your wand." 

Aurora took his hand, not convinced by his words. Still, as they approached Ollivander's, the thought of buying her first wand send a tremor of excitement down her spine. It was almost enough to break through the cloud of disappointment that had settled over the trip.


	2. Anticipation

Severus stood in his workroom—his father’s old office, converted almost the moment Severus became of age and could perform the necessary spells without Ministry interference—and created a list of supplies he’d need to replenish before the start of term. He always brought his private stores back to Spinner’s End over the summer, but between his experiments and Malichi’s pilfering, some of the basics were running low.

Footsteps rushed toward him, and he set his jaw—he hadn’t closed the door to the lab since he’d been alone in the house—as Aurora came barreling in, waving her wand. She was breathless, her face flushed with excitement.

"What is it, child?" he asked testily.

"You won't believe it, Father! My wand-"

"What of it? And stop waving it around! You're liable to have it go off!" He grabbed it from her and tossed it onto the worktable, but it didn't seem to deter her enthusiasm.

"We went to Ollivander's for my wand, and we tried dozens of them before we found it! Maple, dragon heartstring core, seven and a half inches—Uncle Steven said it’s identical to yours! Do you think that means I’ll be good at Potions?”

Severus looked at her for a moment—at her eyes wide with excitement, a shape somewhere between almond and round as her glamour was wearing off—then quickly shook his head.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, turning back to his supplies. “Potion making has little to do with wands.”

"Oh."

He heard the disappointment in her voice, and though he resolved to continue staring at the bottles lined up before him, he could see her crestfallen face from the corner of his eye.

"Sorry to bother you. I'll just go and put away my school things."

Aurora retrieved her wand from the table and took her parcels from Steven, who had appeared in the doorway. Her shoulders were slumped as she walked away, and Severus had the urge to call her back.

Steven stepped forward, face inches from Severus’s, voice low. "What did you do?"

Severus wasn’t about to admit to his brother that he’d unintentionally caused his daughter pain. It wasn’t as though it wasn’t a regular occurrence. "I didn't _do_ anything. She was overjoyed at the prospect of having one of the most common wands in existence.”

"It’s amazing you’re able to teach students,” Steven said dryly. “Dense as you are. Wake _up!_ She was excited because she had something in common with _you_!"

Severus frowned, his eyes darting toward the stairwell. How had he misread _that_?

“You know, she said today that she believes you make her use a glamour potion in public because you’re ashamed of her.”

Severus forced the icy grip around his heart into a cool detachment as he met his brother’s stare, his lip curled defiantly. "What did you tell her?"

“I told her that you’re a slimy git who doesn’t realize what he has until he’s lost it—what do you think I told her? That even though you don’t show it, you love her as she is.”

Severus nodded curtly in approval.

Steven laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder. "Severus, go talk to her."

Severus shrugged the hand away and squared his shoulders. "I wouldn't have the faintest idea what to say.”

"Severus—”

"It's too late, Steven. Nothing I say will make any difference now."

“Merlin knows I won’t be able to change your mind. It’s like trying to move a bloody mountain. But you’re wrong, Severus. And you know it.”

Aurora heard the rising voices of her father and uncle floating up the stairs as she sat on her bed, surrounded by packages, but they were too low for her to make out exactly what they were saying. _Probably fighting about me._

She unwrapped her supplies, determined not to let her father’s ambivalence ruin her excitement about going to Hogwarts. Despite having a professor for a father and an ex-professor as a godfather, she’d had very little experience with magical learning. And though their sitting room was lined with bookshelves, she was forbidden from touching anything that went beyond novels and histories.

Her father, of course, would never explain himself, Steven claimed ignorance as to why the books were off-limits, and all she could get out of Malichi was that there would be plenty of time for her to study magic at school, and knowing wizarding history and Muggle history was equally important.

So, when she picked up her copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , she leafed through it with interest. She half-laughed: the Potions text was laid out just like a cookbook, with lists of ingredients and step-by-step instructions. If all there was to potion making was following instructions, at least she wouldn’t embarrass herself in her father’s class.

A knock on her door a moment later brought her attention from the book.

“Come in, Uncle Steven.” Her father never knocked, and Malichi only stopped at her room if she’d gotten into trouble.

Steven smiled as he came in, nodding to the unwrapped parcels. “Wasted no time, I see. May I?”

She cleared a space beside her and he sat down, picking up her Charms book and flipping through it.

“You haven’t started studying already, have you?” he asked with a smirk.

“I was just looking. I thought you had an appointment to go to.” She closed the Potions book and stacked her supplies in her trunk for storage.

“I’ve been and come back.” He tilted his head to the side. “You _have_ been up here studying.”

“What?” she looked at the clock—half past five. It couldn’t have been later than one or two when she’d come upstairs. “Oh. Well, I guess Potions was interesting enough to lose myself in.”

He chuckled. “Well, you’d come by it honestly, at least. I never was much good at Potions. Better at Charms.” His smile faded, and he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Ra, do you want to talk about what happened today?"

She shrugged. There wasn’t anything to talk about.

"Come here," he said, holding his arms open. She leaned into them, burying her face in his shirt. He rubbed her back then kissed the top of her head. "I love ya, kiddo."

"Love you, too."

Steven stood so abruptly that Aurora fell over on the bed and then tickled her. She giggled, swatting at his hands.

“Stooooop!”

“All right. It’s time to get dinner together anyway. Our turn.”

Aurora squealed as he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

Severus bolted from his armchair at Aurora’s cry, but when it was followed by raucous laughter and footsteps on the stairs, he allowed himself to relax.

 _Steven,_ he thought with a sniff. Still, at least she wasn’t sulking in her room anymore. He followed the noise to the kitchen, then crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe as he watched his brother and his daughter chatter away, laughing. A jolt of envy shot through him. He'd never have that, with either of them.

Aurora noticed him first, and the laughter faded from her face. She forced a smile and pointed to the cupboards. “I’m just seeing if we have what I need.”

Severus arched a jagged black brow in question.

“For dinner. I saw the recipe in a cookbook at Flourish and Blotts today.”

“She saw that book for five minutes, tops, but she remembers that recipe almost word for word. It’s amazing!” Steven said.

Aurora’s face reddened and she focused her attention on the ingredients lined up on the counter. "It's not that big of a deal. It was a simple recipe, that's all."

"I certainly couldn't remember anything after only glancing at it," Steven said.

"That may explain how you blew up your second year cauldron."

Severus kept his face impassive as Steven and Aurora exchanged startled glances before turning back to face him.

Steven grinned at him. "Did you just make a joke, Severus?"

Severus smiled thinly, then took a seat at the table as Malichi breezed in.

“You must have misheard,” Malichi said. “Severus doesn’t have a sense of humor anymore, do you, son?” He nudged Severus, a twinkle in his eye.

Severus scowled.

“In time for supper? Excellent.” Malichi sat across from Severus at the table and tossed a copy of _Potions Weekly_ at him.

Aurora and Steven turned back to their preparations, and Severus picked up the periodical. “What’s this?”

“Have you become illiterate suddenly?” Malichi asked.

 _Irritating old fool._ “I meant why toss it at me?”

“Thought it might interest you.”

Severus flipped through the magazine and stopped at the index. _New Study on the Long-term Effects of Glamour Potions_ , _page 10_. His eyes shot to Malichi’s.

Malichi raised his eyebrow, glancing at Aurora before meeting Severus’s gaze again. Severus gritted his teeth but flipped to the article. When he’d decided on Aurora’s use of the potion, all evidence had shown that there were no ill-effects. But skimming through the article, a study which followed a good number of witches and wizards through twenty years of their life had found a startling correlation between constant use of the potion and delayed maturity in children, advanced cognitive dysfunction after sixty, and—in rare cases—permanently altered physical features.

Severus closed the magazine and tossed it back at Malichi. He lowered his voice so as not to be heard beyond the table. “One study is hardly ironclad proof. And the children this affected imbibed the potion daily. Aurora has used it at most once a month.”

“Up to now, yes. But that all changes in September, doesn’t it? Are you willing to take that chance?”

“None of these effects are catastrophic, and none are as life-threatening as allowing her identity to be discovered. So yes, I’m prepared to allow that she’ll hit puberty later than her classmates, and that the color of her eyes might change. At least she’ll be alive.”

Their conversation was cut short as Aurora placed dinner on the table, her face beaming.

"Well. It smells edible, at any rate,” Severus said, purposefully avoiding Malichi’s disapproving gaze.

As her uncle laid out the place settings, Aurora took her seat at the table and drank up the atmosphere. Nobody was yelling; everyone seemed satisfied and—at the very least—tolerant.

They were midway through the meal when the sense of contentment faltered.

“What are you planning to do with yourself once term has begun, Steven?”

Her father’s tone, to the untrained ear, bore no hint of malice. But Aurora had known him too long to take it for anything other than the precursor to either an insult, or a threat.

Steven’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth. He knew it, too. "I will do as I've always intended, Severus—go back to the stage with my Muggle magic."

"I thought as much." her father said with a knowing nod and a slight sneer.

"Something on your mind?" Steven asked.

Her godfather watched the brothers, his sharp gaze flicking between them. Aurora held her breath.

"It simply occurred to me that with both Aurora and I gone until June, you'll be able to take some of those tours you've always lamented missing, won't you?"

Steven laid down his fork and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean, _both_ of you will be gone until June? Ra will be home for the holidays."

"She will be at home. At Hogwarts. It will give me the chance to spend holidays with her. And do not call her by that infernal nickname."

Aurora wanted to scream. She was _right there._ Did they have to talk about her like she was invisible?

"She is _not_ staying there for ten months straight, Severus!" A patch of red crawled up her uncle’s neck from beneath his collar, rapidly spreading to his face as he glared at his brother.

"Oh? And what do you plan on doing about it?"

Steven stood, his hands clenched into fists. "I—"

“Does anybody care what _I_ want to do?" Aurora asked.

All eyes turned to her. Her uncle’s gaze held an unspoken apology, her father’s an indifferent impatience. Malichi’s eyes alone were bright, the corners of his mouth twitching as though he were holding back a smile.

"It isn’t a matter of what you want,” her father said.

"Why not? They're my holidays, aren't they? Shouldn't I be allowed to decide if I want to spend them here or not?"

"Of course you should!" her uncle said.

Aurora stared at her father, waiting.

"It is all too clear which choice you prefer.” His tone was flat, his eyes cold.

"That's right, I forgot you know _everything_." Aurora ignored the visible tightening of his jaw and stood up, her own eyes flashing with anger. "And why do you feel the need to spend holidays with me _now_? You’ve always had the chance before, and every year you run back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. So _don’t_ try to tell me that you're doing it to spend time with me, because I'm not stupid!"

His face remained impassive, his expression inscrutable. Aurora growled with frustration, then stormed from the kitchen and went up to her bedroom. She slammed her door, the reverberating noise cooling her anger a degree or two.

They were infuriating. All of them.

"Severus, you have to do something!" Steven said as the sound of Aurora’s slammed door rang through the house.

"I don't have to do _anything_!" Severus hissed, standing up abruptly. "She is better off hating me."

"She doesn't hate you!"

"And you accuse me of being dense?" Severus said.

Steven shook his head. “Do what you want; you always do. I’ve got to go to work.”

He Apparated out of the kitchen, leaving Severus and Malichi alone.

“If _that_ is how you intend to behave during term, son, neither of you will survive past Halloween.” Malichi laid his fork aside, and sipped from a mug of coffee, his brown eyes fixed on Severus’s face.

“I am in no mood for your incessant lectures, old man.” Severus sank back into his chair, head pounding.

“And yet you remain. Interesting. I note that no mention was made of _my_ pursuits after the lot of you have gone.”

“That could be because I don’t give a tinker’s damn,” Severus said. He picked up his fork and pierced a bit of chicken.

“Well, as I’ve spent the last several years playing professor at your request—despite my retirement—I thought I was long overdue for a holiday.”

Severus tossed his fork back onto his plate in disgust. Steven’s words sat in his stomach, destroying his appetite. “Then go on your blasted holiday already and allow me some peace for what remains of _mine_.” Like his brother before him, he stood unceremoniously from the table and stalked from the room, leaving the older wizard and the half-eaten dinner behind.

Aurora lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she listened to the raised voices in the kitchen. After a moment, there was silence, and she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her father didn't hesitate on his way to his own room, and she fought back the lump that was rising in her throat.

"Can’t a day go by in this house without someone fighting with somebody else?" she muttered as she got undressed and ready for bed. Sleep eluded her, so she took out her schoolbooks again. She’d read her Charms book nearly front to back before her eyes began to droop. Aurora returned the book to its place in her trunk and climbed back into bed.

A thousand thoughts ran through her head as she closed her eyes – but her frustration at her father’s rules kept her awake. He wasn’t going to bend—he hadn’t once that she could remember—but she couldn’t stand facing seven years at Hogwarts living a lie. There was no way around using the false name, she knew that. But why couldn’t she at least _look_ like herself? She didn’t look a thing like her father, nobody would be able to make the connection, but how could she get around the glamour potion? She had to find out—before the first of September. Suddenly, three weeks seemed as though it were no time at all.

The how, she realized the next day, was simple: find a counter for the glamour potion, or else create a new one, neither of which would be easy. Her first task was to find the actual potion that her father brewed. There was no mention of any glamour potion in her _Magical Draughts and Potions_ text—not that she really expected it—and so she set herself the task of pouring through the many texts which lined the walls of their tiny sitting room downstairs. The problem, however, was that her father normally occupied the sitting room, which gave her little chance to study them.

An opportunity didn’t arise until the Sunday before she was to leave for school. Her father had decided on a trip to Diagon Alley to replenish his stock, and had—under duress—taken Malichi with him. While her uncle set out to de-gnome the garden, Aurora feigned illness and started flipping through the volumes. Panic rose in her chest as she reached the last bookcase without finding anything remotely related to glamour potions. And then she found it. Near the top of the bookcase—she had to stand on the top of her father’s armchair to reach it—a book whose cover was so worn the title was illegible.

As though fate were apologizing, both the glamour potion and the counter were in the first few pages. Aurora scanned them both. The counter would take six days, which gave her _very_ little time. She read and re-read the page, and then returned the book to its proper place.

She glanced through the back window to be sure her uncle was still preoccupied and hurried into her father’s lab. Under normal circumstances, the room was forbidden. But there was no warding on the door, and she slipped inside. The storage cupboard was in the corner. She grasped the handle and tugged, surprised that it opened easily. Apparently, her father fancied he had no reason to keep it locked. Aurora measured out the ingredients she would need, stored them in her own potion phials, and hurried back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

She could see Steven in the garden from her window, and she set to work, every few minutes checking to be sure he would not interrupt her before she was prepared to hide her cauldron. Aurora pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and wrote down the potion she’d memorized. Her cauldron was already set up at the bottom of her trunk, and as she lit a small fire beneath it with Muggle matches she’d procured from her uncle’s room, she had a fleeting thought that it would never work. _Bound to go wrong_. _I’m lighting a_ fire _inside of a trunk!_ She had not taken into account, however, that being a magical trunk meant being prepared for these sorts of things.

When it seemed that she would not burn the house down, she began to prepare the potion according to the instructions she’d re-written. After adding the first ingredient, the instructions said to let it sit for several house before continuing, so she closed the lid on her trunk to hide her project. As the lid closed with a _thunk_ , her bedroom door swung open. Aurora jumped to her feet, turning towards the intruder as she tried not to look guilty.

“It is a lovely day, Piccolina,” Malichi said in lieu of greeting, his eyes scrutinizing her face. “You should be outside helping your uncle in the garden.”

“I—I wasn’t feeling very well, Malichi. I was just going to have a lie-down.”

His eyes left her face and roved around her room. Seeing nothing amiss, he nodded brusquely. “I shall bring you some hot soup.”

“Thank you,” she replied in a small voice.

Malichi looked around the room once more but said nothing as he pulled the door closed. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief after he’d gone. It was going to be a long week.

But fate seemed on her side yet again. Malichi left early the next morning on his long-awaited retirement holiday, which left Aurora breathing much easier. Her uncle was not suspicious by nature, and her father—well, he seldom knew what she got up to in the first place. It was not difficult to sneak off at odd times to check on the potion, and she was pleased to see that on Saturday morning, it had turned the exact shade of puce she’d expected. In a trice, she emptied the cauldron into a phial, corked it, and hid it in the pocket of the jeans she’d set out for the next day’s journey. If all went accordingly, tomorrow would be the last time she’d ever have to stomach a glamour potion.


	3. Arrivals

"Scales?"

"Yes."

"Cauldron?"

"Yes."

"You've repacked that trunk at least ten times.” Her father leaned against the doorframe of Aurora’s bedroom, eyes scanning the jumbled mess within.

"I don't want to forget anything! What's next on the list, Uncle Steven?"

Her father sighed, irritation evident as Steven continued to read from the list. "Robes?"

"Got 'em!"

"Wand?"

"Ooh, I just had it a minute ago—" Aurora picked up the robes from her trunk as she searched for her wand, surprised when it appeared over her shoulder. She turned and accepted the wand from her father’s outstretched hand.

"Carelessly left on the bed," he said.

Aurora wasn’t going to let his mood temper hers. In the morning, she was going to _Hogwarts_. She thanked him and placed it on top of her robes inside her trunk.

"That's the last of it," Steven said.

Aurora grinned and sighed with satisfaction. Her father had not been exaggerating when he commented on how often she'd been checking her trunk. It seemed as though every few minutes that day, she and Steven had emptied and verified the contents. Now, less than twenty-four hours before her departure, she could barely sit still.

Her father sighed as well, though Aurora could tell it was more out of relief. "Now, if you are quite through—"

"What about my schoolbooks? Have I packed them?" Aurora asked, looking frantically around her room.

"On the bottom, next to your cauldron," Steven said with an indulgent grin.

"Oh, good."

“It’s time for dinner,” her father said.

"I'll be just a minute, I want to make sure—"

"Everything is in there, child!” His voice rose and his eyes snapped. "We will go down and eat. Now!"

All semblance of patience was gone as he turned and went downstairs. Aurora was surprised he’d lasted as long as he had, to be honest. She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I was like this right before I left for my first year, Ra,” Steven confided as he swept into the kitchen behind them. Since their trip to Diagon Alley, he’d seemed much more receptive to sharing in her enthusiasm for starting school. Aurora hadn’t asked why – she was just happy that he’d come around. “I remember being _so_ excited that I'd finally get to go to Hogwarts and learn some jinxes to try on Severus."

"Did you learn any good ones?" she asked, averting her eyes from what she was sure would be a disapproving glare from her father.

"None I hadn’t learned before first year," her father said with a smirk.

"I seem to remember one occasion—”

"Eat.” The smirk was gone. “I have no wish to travel down memory lane with you."

Aurora studied her father before turning back to her uncle. "What did you do?"

Steven leaned in closer, looking at his brother with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. "I followed him and your mum out to their favorite spot, and just as he was about to kiss her, I shouted ' _Petrificus Totalus!'_ and he fell into the lake!"

He guffawed loudly, and though she struggled to suppress it, a giggle erupted from Aurora’s own mouth. When she turned to see her father’s reaction, the laughter died in an instant. His lips were set in a straight line, and his hands were clenching the table so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His eyes seemed to be staring off into another world.

"Father?"

He whipped his face toward her, his hands falling beneath the table as Steven cleared his throat uncomfortably. For a moment her father was silent, his gaze sliding to his brother’s, the loathing evident.

"I need to prepare my classroom. Aurora, I'll see you after you arrive tomorrow evening. I have left an ample supply of the glamour draught – do not forget it." He stood and went through the back door, where his trunk was waiting.

Aurora watched him go, a twinge of guilt as she thought of the counter she’d finished just that morning, but he did not look back before Disapparating from the garden.

"That was strange, even for Father," Aurora said later as she helped Steven put the dishes away.

”I shouldn’t have told that story,” Steven said. “He does go odd when he remembers your mum.”

“Did he really fall into the lake?”

Her uncle smiled. “He did. And he was _furious_. Didn’t let me get away with anything after that. But it was nothing compared to your mum’s reaction.” He let out a low whistle. “It was Marie’s threats to my person that kept me in line. She had access to Professor Kettleburn’s menagerie even then, and she was devoted to your dad.”

Aurora slid the last plate back into the cupboard and sighed. It didn’t seem possible, someone being that enamored with her father. But she could understand her parents being upset. “He might’ve drowned,” she said. “I don’t suppose either of them found it funny.”

“No. And neither did I, at first. But your mum reacted so quickly, he was never in any danger. Cast the counter before he hit the water.”

They climbed the stairs to Aurora’s bedroom.

“I miss her,” she said. “But that’s weird, right? Because it’s not like I remember her.” She sat on her bed and clutched a pillow to her chest.

“It isn’t weird.” Steven sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

“Why are you the only one who will talk to me about her? Father always brushes me aside, and Malichi just gets…sad when I ask questions.”

Steven slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe it’s because I was never really close to her,” he said. “You have to remember, I spent only two years with her as a student. And your father was never one to let me hang around him at school. A year or two after graduation, Marie – your mum – apprenticed under Professor Kettleburn in Care of Magical Creatures. But she was almost a professor then. And I wasn’t in the habit of spending my free time with the teachers – especially the ones who would report back to my brother.

“She was loved by the students and the faculty,” he said with a smile. “Didn’t seem to be able to put a foot wrong. Kettleburn announced that he was going to retire at the welcome feast my sixth year, turning over the class to your mum. But within a month—”

"She was dead." she finished for him.

“Yes.”

"How—"

"You know perfectly well that I don't know." He patted her leg affectionately. "Your father was hired on at Hogwarts that term as well, and Malichi was entrusted with you. But I can tell this—you are the spitting image of your mum—right down to the tip of your nose.”

Aurora’s face remained clouded, a slight frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“Come on,” Steven instructed, standing from the bed. “I didn't want to get you depressed before you leave for school. Time to sleep." She scrambled under the covers as he turned out her light. As he leaned down to kiss her goodnight, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Uncle Steven."

"You're welcome, Ra. Now go to sleep." He pulled the door closed as he left the room.

Between the excitement of leaving for Hogwarts, the knowledge that the counter to the glamour potion was hidden in her pocket, and the questions that were always left unanswered after hearing about her mother, Aurora found it very difficult to sleep. Getting out of bed, she went over to her bookshelves, where she'd hidden the one thing she treasured above all else - a tiny bottle of lilac scented perfume. It was all she had of her mother—her godfather had given it to her when she was five, telling her he'd managed to hang on to it when her father was getting rid of all of her mother’s other things.

Whenever she felt sad or lonely, Aurora got the bottle from her hiding spot and inhaled the scent. She'd never even considered using the contents, partly because she was afraid her father would find out she had it and take it from her, and partly because she didn’t want to lose the only link she had with her mother. Now, as she put the stopper back on, she placed it gently into her trunk. There was no way she was going to go ten months without it. Crawling back into bed with the scent of lilac hanging in the air, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Severus Apparated in Hogsmeade, the wizarding village located near Hogwarts, his usual relief at escaping the blanket of guilt and judgment that lay over his home tempered with irritation at his brother. Steven loved that story; the kid brother, getting the upper hand for once. And on reflection, that had been all it was. But for Severus, that was the day his brother became another tormentor, another reason to spend more time with his books and experiments than with classmates.

His mood darkened as the door of the Three Broomsticks sprung open, the smell of butterbeer and fire whiskey spilling out into the street along with several of his colleagues. He groaned as they spotted him.

"Severus! Back from another mysterious summer trip, I suppose?" Professor Pomona Sprout, a short witch with unruly curls, elbowed him and winked.

He rolled his eyes. Pomona was irritating at the best of times, which only led credence to the rumors that she was growing illicit herbs in her personal greenhouses.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey, head of the hospital wing, walked beside Pomona. “I hope you’ve remembered to bring enough headache elixirs to replenish my cupboards,” she said. “Last year’s seventh-years went through it like pumpkin juice.”

The headmaster himself, Albus Dumbledore, flanked Severus’s other side, leaving him no room to escape the trio. “I’m certain Severus spent most of his holiday thinking of nothing else.” He shot Severus a twinkling stare.

Severus growled under his breath. “Pomona, Poppy. _Albus_.”

"When _will_ you tell us what you do all summer?" Pomona asked.

_Even her footsteps are annoying_ , Severus thought as the _pat pat pat_ of Pomona’s smaller steps slapped against the cobblestones.

"When will _you_ understand that it's none of your concern?" He snapped.

Pomona’s eyes flashed at his tone. She linked her arm through Poppy’s and quickened her pace, speaking so that they were sure to be overheard by everyone passing by. "Of course, it's hard _not_ to believe the rumors about his connection to _You-Know-Who_ , what with all this secrecy about his holidays."

Sevreus gritted his teeth. If the headmaster hadn’t been walking next to him, he might have blasted her with a tongue-locking jinx. It was almost worth it, even so.

“She still hasn’t forgiven you for rejecting her invitation for dinner last year,” Albus said.

“And I haven’t forgiven you for giving her the impression it would be welcomed.”

"Pomona's bitterness has only gotten worse since someone has started the rumor that you run to a woman every summer."

“’Someone’ indeed. I know damn well it was you.”

Albus smiled and spread his hands wide. “If you would only avail yourself of my excellent matchmaking skills—”

Severus sniffed. “You set Pomona Sprout on me. That is hardly an endorsement of your professed abilities. And I am not in the market for a _match_.”

“It’s been years, Severus. Surely you can allow yourself to move on.”

“You’ve heard the one about stones and glass houses, haven’t you, Albus?”

Albus cleared his throat. “Yes, well. Mine is a very different situation. I was thinking only of your home life. You and your brother and Malichi—a feminine presence might be beneficial.”

Severus shook his head. He was as subtle as a blast-ended skrewt “I assure you we have everything well in hand.”

“Of course. How are Steven and Malichi?”

"They are, as usual, very tiresome. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to go back."

"No, you don't," Albus said kindly. He turned his head, no doubt ascertaining if there were any eavesdroppers before asking the inevitable: "And how is Aurora, Severus?"

Severus couldn’t stop a smirk from twitching onto his lips as he remembered how happy she was about attending Hogwarts. “She’s an eleven-year-old girl coming to Hogwarts. Her enthusiasm is…exhausting. Steven has been filling her head with stories of the countless mysterious secrets she'll find, of course." His face darkened. "However, my presence here is not as eagerly anticipated." He pushed open the front door of Hogwarts and made his way to the teachers’ quarters.

“It isn’t too late to change your mind about the assumed name. Perhaps acknowledging her—”

“I’m not arguing the point with you again,” Severus said. Merlin, his head hurt. Albus tended to have that effect on him.

“No argument,” Albus said. “But does she see the way your face lights up when you talk about her? Or do you hide that from her as well?"

The headmaster’s words were not harsh, but they grated on Severus’s already short temper. He was tense and rigid as he spoke the password and entered his room. Albus followed him without invitation.

“You realize she won’t be a child for much longer, don’t you? If nothing changes, one day she will see that her efforts to get close to you have failed because of your refusal to accept them. Don’t you think you’ve lost enough already?” Albus asked.

_At least she'll still be alive._ “Your insight into my personal affairs are, as ever, illuminating, Albus. Will you leave me in peace of your own volition, or do I need to escort you back to the corridor?”

Albus stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head and patted Severus’s shoulder. “It isn’t too late. Perhaps having her so close by during the term will prove that.”

Severus sniffed as the headmaster left the room. He doubted having his daughter close would prove anything other than she’d inherited his temper.

Aurora and Steven stood at the barrier between platforms nine and ten looking around for Muggles paying attention. Aurora took a deep breath; this was where it all had to start. She had taken her glamour potion as instructed, and as far as she knew, her uncle didn’t suspect her of plotting for it to be the last time. It was going to be tricky, being sure to drink the counter potion after she was out of sight of her uncle, but before she’d already met anyone else. There was only one way…

“I can see myself to the train,” she offered, bracing herself for the hurt look she knew was coming. She was not disappointed. “Well, what are people going to think? You look just like Father—and he teaches at the school—they’ll _know_ something’s fishy the minute they spot you. I’m to pretend I don’t know him, right?” Steven’s expression remained sorrowful.

“I’m going to miss you, Ra,” he said, leaning over and hugging her tightly.

“I’ll miss you, too. But we’ll see each other in June,” she said brightly, her hand going into her pocket and clutching the phial of glamour counter tightly.

Steven nodded, and then smiled. “You’ll have a ripping time at Hogwarts. But just in case…” He stuck his hands in his pockets. When he withdrew them, they were balled into fists. He held them out. "Pick a hand, any hand."

She tapped on the left one, and he opened it to reveal a deck of cards.

"Now, I know that your father doesn't approve of Muggle magic, but I thought you'd enjoy showing some of the other children some of the tricks I've taught you. But it's our secret, okay?"

He winked at her as she giggled and nodded. "I promise."

"Good girl." He kissed the top of her head as she began to move towards the barrier with her trolley. “Send me an owl if there's anything you need!” he called after her.

She burst through the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters just as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. There were people milling all around; parents were saying goodbye to their children, and the children were doing their best to join their friends who they hadn't seen all summer. Aurora grinned as she made her way to the first car. She found an empty compartment easily, and after securing her trunk, she curled up on the seat and withdrew the phial.

Her body trembled with excitement—would it work?—as she uncorked the potion and drank it in a gulp, and then pulled her jacket over her head as an extra precaution. She heard other children filing onto the train, some in her own compartment, but she didn’t risk peeking out until the train had started moving. Closing her eyes and whispering to herself, “Please let it work, please let it work,” she pretended to be waking from a refreshing nap. Facing the window, she cracked open an eye—and saw a familiar hazel reflected back at her. Now jubilant, she sat up and looked around the compartment.

A tall girl with short brown hair sat directly opposite her, her green eyes fixed on Aurora with a sharp intensity. "Hello, Aurora. I'm Erin. Erin Cafferty."

Goosebumps rose on Aurora’s arms. "How'd you know my name?"

"Usually people say 'nice to meet you' or something a bit more polite."

Aurora frowned. “Sorry. It’s, er, great to meet you, Erin. Now would you mind telling me how you knew my name?”

"Trunk.” Erin pointed above Aurora’s head to the luggage rack.

"Oh, right." Her shoulders—which she’d unknowingly tensed—relaxed, and the heat of embarrassment spread up from her neck. "Sorry about that. I'm just a bit excited about going to Hogwarts. My f-“ she stopped. She’d almost spoiled things already! She was Aurora Rinkle again, who lived with her great-uncle Malichi Melison. “I was nearly sent somewhere else.”

"I know how you feel. Nicole almost sent me to Beauxbatons."

"Really?” That was a weird coincidence. Aurora’s goosebumps rose again. “That's where I was meant to go, too.” She and Erin stared at each other for a moment before Aurora asked, “Um, who is Nicole?"

"My mum. She finally decided that learning French just to go to a school would be silly.“ She smiled, then turned to stare out the window.

Aurora didn't have much time to puzzle over what she'd said as a girl seated next to her tried to engage her in conversation.

"Hi! I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Your name's Aurora? That's pretty. Mine's Jamie Hobbs." She extended her hand, and Aurora shook it warily.

"Hullo."

"I'm a first year as well. Which house do you think you'll be in?"

"I've no idea," Aurora answered honestly.

"I'm hoping to get into Slytherin. My mum was one, and she loved it!"

"Slytherin? Better not get your hopes up too much," Erin interjected from the corner.

"Why not? I guess I've got as much chance as you do to be in there!" Jamie’s voice had risen, and her lips were pursed in a slight pout as her grey eyes narrowed at the taller girl.

"Exactly." Erin turned again to stare out the window, and Jamie exchanged confused looks with Aurora.

"What was that about?" Jamie whispered. Aurora shrugged as she looked back at the mysterious girl sitting across from her. She obviously felt as though she knew things the others didn’t. Aurora frowned as she glanced up at her trunk, which had been magicked to read ‘Aurora Rinkle’. Odd, she had never noticed it…Before she had time to dwell on the matter, an announcement was made to change into their robes. Aurora complied, sticking her mother's perfume bottle in the pocket. By the time she was ready, they'd arrived at Hogwarts.


	4. Hogwarts

The cloudless night sky offered a full view of the stars twinkling above the students’ heads as they disembarked at Hogsmeade Station, the lights on the platform doing little to dispel the darkness more than a few feet in any direction. Aurora stood on her tiptoes on the platform in an attempt to get a better view of the barely discernable rooftops in the village just down from the station when she was shoved roughly from behind. She instinctively threw out her hands to catch herself, earning a painful scrape on her right hand for her trouble. Wincing, she stood and surveyed the perpetrator, a blonde boy that towered over her, his pointed chin thrust out defiantly as he regarded her with the most unfriendly pair of grey eyes she’d ever come across. Standing just behind him were two much larger boys – vertically _and_ horizontally – both of whom were clenching and unclenching their fists threateningly.

"Watch where you're going," the smaller boy snapped maliciously.

"You pushed _me_ ," she replied, wrapping a handkerchief around her scraped hand as her temper began to flare.

"Watch how you speak to me, pipsqueak!" He leaned in so that his face was inches from hers, but Aurora couldn’t have felt less threatened - her father was _much_ more intimidating, and if she could bear him, she could bear this boy.

"Why? Are you going to set your goons on me?” she retorted, relishing the surprised look in his eyes as she leaned forward just as much. “It must take real bravery to attack _a girl_ who is half your size. Of course, that’s probably all they're smart enough to do," she said, glaring at them. They stepped closer menacingly, but stopped when they heard a voice booming overhead.

"First years, this way!"

Looking up, they saw a man whose head came just inches below the top of the train, his hand dangling a lantern over their heads. The light of the swaying lantern cast shadows over the large man’s face, but Aurora could tell just by the sheer size of him that he had to be Hagrid, the gamekeeper that her uncle and godfather had always spoken so highly of.

Aurora cast a last glare at the trio of boys before obediently standing in the pool of light beneath Hagrid’s lantern, taking a space between Erin and Jamie.

"Hey Aurora, who was that boy you were talking to? He was kinda cute," Jamie said, craning her neck to try and spot him in the crowd of students.

"I didn't get his name,” Aurora said. “I was too busy telling him off for knocking me down.”

"I suspect he was just nervous," Jamie said, shrugging dismissively as she continued searching for the boy.

"It'll get a lot worse before it gets better, believe me," Erin told Aurora, grinning, as they began to follow Hagrid down a winding path. Aurora frowned – she had no idea what Erin meant.

Now far from the station, the only light that pierced the surrounding darkness was Hagrid’s lantern, and the first years seemed to unconsciously huddle in the midst of the light rather than face what may lie in wait just off the path. They soon came to a halt at the edge of a vast pool of inky nothingness, which Aurora realized was a lake only after Hagrid had seated himself into a boat. The other students began to fill the waiting watercraft, and Aurora and her two companions followed suit.

As soon as the last first year had procured a vessel, the cluster of boats began to move of their own accord, eliciting startled cries from some of the students. Aurora wondered if they’d be able to see Hogwarts from the lake – in all the years her father had been a teacher at the school, she couldn’t remember a time she’d ever seen the castle. The stories her guardians had told her about the school flooded her brain as she craned her neck to catch her first glimpse of it.

They rounded a bend in the lake and suddenly Hogwarts was there – much closer than she had expected – lights blazing from its multitude of windows. Silhouetted against the night sky, the school looked nothing short of spectacular, and its beauty took Aurora’s breath away. Even from the boats she could see the enormity of the castle, and she felt her excitement soar.

Aurora disembarked eagerly with the other students when they arrived at the boat dock. The castle loomed in front of them invitingly, and they once again fell into step behind Hagrid, who led them up the hill and stopped in front of a large wooden door. As though their arrival had been announced, the door swung inward, a stern-looking witch with square glasses framed in the doorway. Her black hair was drawn back tightly into a bun, and Aurora could tell just by the woman's expression that she was not someone to take lightly.

"Here are all the first years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, giving the new students a reassuring smile before heading through an open door on his right.

"I want to welcome you all to Hogwarts, first years,” the witch announced, her bespectacled eyes resting on each one for a brief moment. “The sorting ceremony will begin shortly in order to place you in your respective houses. Follow me, in a single file line, please." She gazed upon the group sternly, and then led them through the doors behind her, and on into the Great Hall.

All of the older students were already seated at the four long tables that lined the room, their eyes following the first years’ progression. Aurora fidgeted nervously as her own gaze swept the room for a familiar face – and found it when she saw her father seated at the staff table, next to a man in an ugly purple turban.

Her stomach began to turn as she remembered that she’d successfully reversed her glamour – she hadn’t given much thought to what he father would say – or do. His eyes were roving over the faces of the other students, and before she could look away, they’d found hers. Even from this distance, she could see his jaw clench and imagined the vein in his neck standing out. Tearing her eyes away, she began to look at the other teachers, though she could still feel her father’s furious stare.

Erin gave her a nudge, and then whispered in her ear. "Things will turn out better than you expect them too, don't worry so much."

Aurora stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Erin grinned, and then pointed at the front of the room, where a frayed old hat sat on a stool. "Oh you mean the sorting ceremony? My uncle told me all about it before I left. All they do is place the hat on your head, and it shouts out which house you're in."

Erin smiled, but didn't say anything. Aurora had the funny feeling that she'd misinterpreted her statement, but she didn't have much time to dwell on it as the ceremony began. Aurora was thankful that the first years had to face the other students instead of the staff – though her father seemed as though he was boring a hole in the back of her skull with his gaze.

She watched the students as name after name was called; Erin was sorted into Ravenclaw very quickly, but the hat looked like it couldn't quite decide what to do with Jamie. Aurora could see her sitting there, her fingers crossed. The hat finally placed her in Ravenclaw as well, and she looked very disgruntled as she took her seat.

"Draco Malfoy!" announced Professor McGonagall. Aurora saw the blond boy who'd pushed her sit on the chair, the hat placing him immediately in Slytherin.

"That's no surprise," she mumbled to nobody in particular. Then a name was called that made her breath catch in her throat.

"Harry Potter!" Aurora, along with every other person in the hall, craned her neck to get a better look at the skinny boy with the tousled hair and lightning scar. She'd heard about him all her life from Malichi and Steven, and here he was getting sorted! She hadn't even realized they were the same age. Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, and a few more students were called. Then it was her turn.

"Aurora Rinkle!" For a brief moment, her success with the glamour counter gave her false courage. She hesitated, wondering what would happen if she chose not to respond to her assumed name. It was the thought that she would be shipped to Beauxbatons for sure that caused her to make her way shakily to the stool.

The hat was barely on her head before it shouted, “Ravenclaw!” Beaming from ear to ear, she took a seat between Erin and Jamie. She risked a glance up at her father, who – though definitely still angry – looked as though he was disappointed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus watched as the first years filed into the hall, searching for Aurora. Scanning the faces of the students, two boys near the front of the line immediately caught his attention. He groaned inwardly as he recognized the red hair and freckles of the taller boy.

 _Not another Weasley!_ he moaned to himself, then stopped as he recognized the boy next to him. It couldn't be James - no, not James. It had to be his son, Harry. Albus had told him the boy would be starting this term. His eyes narrowed as memories of James ran through his head, and he was thankful the boy looked like his father – it would be much easier to forget who his mother had been. Then Harry turned to look at the staff table, and Severus felt his breath catch. _The eyes_. The brat had Lily’s eyes. Albus had mentioned it, of course, but being faced with the truth – the boy turned away, and Severus was able to compose himself again.

Forcing his attention from Harry, he spotted his daughter, near the middle of the line. Anger surged through him as he recognized her – she had not taken her glamour potion, and now stood, a tiny tin-type of her mother. It was as though the ghosts of the past had been sent to torment him…

The sorting ceremony began, but though he clapped briefly after each student, his focus remained on his daughter. When she was sorted into Ravenclaw, he felt a stab of annoyance. He had anticipated that she would be in Slytherin, as his family had been for generations. No doubt her placement stemmed from her likeness to her mother.

 _That’s something,_ _then,_ he thought idly. _So long as she’s a bit more – sensible_. Further dwellings on Aurora's mother were prevented as Quirinus Quirrell, newly appointed to the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, attempted to get Severus’ attention.

"What is it, Quirrell?" he growled, not bothering to disguise his agitation.

"S-Severus, can you b-believe it? Harry P-Potter is at Hogwarts! It's t-terribly excit-ting, d-don't you th-think?"

"I am thrilled by the mere thought, I assure you." Evidently, the sarcasm and anger in Severus’ tone put the other man off his desire for conversation with the Potions Master, because he laughed nervously and turned to the teacher on his other side as the plates before them filled with food.

Now that the sorting was finished, Severus forced himself to keep his gaze off both the Potter boy and Aurora. It would not do for him to seem overly interested – in either of them.

 _Which is a good thing for her,_ he thought with a sneer. _I can’t very well march up and discipline her without cause, and I can’t approach her Head of House, either._ The only staff members knowledgeable about Aurora’s relationship with Severus were Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, and Albus. And though the head of Ravenclaw – Filius Flitwick – was not prone to gossip, Severus had no inclination to clue him in.

 _No doubt she’ll be expecting_ some _repercussion,_ he mused as he allowed his eyes to flick towards Aurora, catching her in a worried stare towards him. Severus smirked as he regarded his food. Letting her stew would be nearly as effective as a howler – and far less likely to draw unwanted attention.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the feast, the first year Ravenclaws followed a gangly looking fifth year prefect named David out into the entry hall, where he checked to make sure they were all there. Then he launched into an elaborate speech about how prefects were afforded a certain respect. It would have gone quite well if he hadn't tripped up the main stairs after he was finished. The first years toppled over each other at the abrupt stop. All of the students laughed as they picked themselves up, including a group of seventh years who were following them.

"Forget about that vanishing step _again_ , Davey?"

"My name is _David_ ," he spat at the older boy. "And no, I didn't _forget_. I was merely demonstrating the um, - the-" The seventh years continued to laugh as they pushed past the group.

"Don't mind Davey, kids. He thinks he's all that and a bag of crisps," explained a very tall girl with bright red hair as the first years began walking again. David was muttering under his breath, and didn't speak until they had come to a dead end in front of a suit of armor.

"What's this all about?" Jamie asked quietly.

"Maybe he got us lost," Aurora whispered. Erin joined in the fit of giggles Aurora’s words inspired, but all three of them stopped when David walked over to them.

"What's so funny back here?" he asked crossly.

"Um, nothing, Dave."

"MY NAME IS DAVID!" he roared.

"Sorry, _David_ ," Aurora corrected.

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'll continue with what I was saying!"

"Um, were you talking before? I didn't hear you." Aurora didn’t know why she’d said it, but she knew she'd gone too far as soon as the words were out of her mouth. David’s face turned red with anger, and his dark brown eyes looked like they were going to bug out of their sockets.

"What's your name _?” he demanded._

"Aurora Rinkle," she said blandly.

"Well, _Rinkle_ , you had better learn not to speak out of turn around here. The teachers certainly won't put up with it!" She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Okay..." she said when he remained silent. He turned on his heel and marched to the front of the crowd.

"Now, each house has a guardian that blocks the entrance to their common rooms. Jonna," he said, indicating the suit of armor, "is ours. The guardians will not grant anyone access without the password, so make sure you remember it. If you learn another house's password, you'd better not use it, because if you're caught in another common room, you face expulsion." He turned to Jonna. "Pink Elephants," he said pompously. Jonna bowed, then moved aside to reveal a door in the wall, which they followed David through. The students looked around them, murmuring with excitement.

The Ravenclaw common room was rather large, with numerous blue armchairs scattered around a magnificent stone fireplace. The remainder of the room held tables of assorted sizes, presumably for studying purposes. David then directed them to their perspective dormitories, where their trunks awaited them.

"This is great!" Aurora said, grinning as they entered. She quickly secured the bed nearest one of the large windows, then changed into her pajamas. As she put her robes away, she reached inside the pocket for her mother’s perfume bottle – only to find that it wasn’t there. Frantically she began to search the robe, then kneeled onto the floor and checked under the beds.

“What are you doing?” A tall blonde girl stood at the entrance to the doorway, an eyebrow raised in bemusement.

“I’ve lost something,” Aurora said hastily, bending again to search beneath Erin’s bed.

“What was it?” she heard the new girl ask.

“A perfume bottle – it must have fallen out of my pocket. It’s small, but it- I _have_ to find it!” Aurora stood as she realized that it wasn’t beneath anyone’s bed.

“Maybe it’s in the common room,” Erin suggested, placing a reassuring hand on Aurora’s shoulder. The shorter girl turned and fled into the common room, ignoring the stares from the few students who hadn’t gone to bed as she began searching beneath each of the fluffy armchairs. Her dormmates followed, their eyes roving the floor around them as Aurora’s agitation increased.

“I don’t think it’s here,” Jamie said apologetically.

“Then _where_ is it?” Aurora asked, now on the verge of tears. Suddenly, she remembered the collision after dinner. “I’ll bet you a galleon it fell out when we all ran into David!” she exclaimed.

“Probably,” Erin agreed. Aurora felt herself relax as she sank into an armchair. The last of the older students left to retire to their own dormitories, leaving the first years alone.

The tall blonde, who still had not introduced herself, grinned at Aurora. “You’re going to go and get it, aren’t you?” she asked.

“She is _not_ going to sneak out on her first night!” Erin scolded.

“It’ll be there in the morning on the way to breakfast,” Jamie agreed. But Aurora was already thinking along the lines of the blonde.

“If I hurry, it won’t take long,” she reasoned. “And if I wait until morning – what if someone else takes it? I _have_ to get it back!”

Erin and Jamie still did not look convinced, but the blonde continued to grin.“Just think,” she pushed, “you might find some of the hidden passages!” Her blue eyes seemed to light up at the mere prospect of any adventure. “C’mon, I _dare_ you to run down and get it.”

She wasn’t sure why, but the blonde girl’s dare only strengthened her resolve. And she _would_ be quick. Aurora stood, her face set in determination. “I _have_ to go,” she declared, ignoring the disapproving stare of Jamie. Before they could talk her out of it, she’d left the common room.

As Jonna repositioned herself in front of the door, Aurora suddenly realized what she was doing. But there was no turning back – she was convinced if she didn’t go after the bottle now, she’d never see it again. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she crept down staircase after staircase until she reached the Entrance Hall. The light from the candles flickered over something just below the vanishing step, and she hurried down towards it. The bottle lay on its side, and Aurora was relieved to see that it had survived unscathed. She stuck it into her pocket, and began the long trek back up to Ravenclaw Tower.

She didn’t realize anything was out of place until she stepped off the staircase and into a corridor she didn’t recall seeing before. Frowning, and thinking she must be tired, she followed the corridor to another set of stairs. These led to yet another unfamiliar row of doors. Struggling to remember if she’d taken a wrong turn, she didn’t notice until it was too late that she was headed right into the wall – except instead of squashing her nose, she tripped and fell completely through the stone. Glancing around, she saw that she was in a narrow passage, a set of steps leading up, and another leading down.

 _This must be one of the shortcuts!_ she thought to herself. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to follow it, she did so, coming out in yet another corridor, this one lined with doors. Feeling that she had gone farther than she’d needed to, she turned to take the passage back to the corridor she’d just left – and ran headlong into her father.

"What are you doing down here?" he hissed, his voice low.

"I -I’m trying to get back to my dorm, but I got lost," she stammered, still somewhat startled. He looked around to be sure nobody was there before he grabbed her arm and began leading her away.

"This corridor was expressly forbidden - didn't you hear Professor Dumbledore explain that at the feast?"

She frowned, remembering something about the third floor. "But this can't be the third floor - I must have gone up six separate staircases already!" she protested.

"Are you suggesting that _I_ do not know where I am?" he asked savagely as they turned the corner and began climbing a set of stairs. She shook her head, but he seemed not to notice. “Steven decided not to enforce the glamour draught, I see.”

“No – I took the glamour potion!” she insisted. He stopped walking, turning a glare of ice upon her. “I just – I took the counter when I got on the train,” she finished quickly, wanting to look anywhere else but at him. His eyes seemed magnetic, and she found she could not tear her own gaze away.

“ _Where_ _did you get the counter_?” he demanded, his face now inches from her own.

“I – I brewed it,” she admitted. “In my school trunk. It was in a book from the sitting room,” she added hastily, as though the fact alleviated her guilt. His lips tightened, and his anger seemed to increase as he surveyed her.

“You – _brewed_ it?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yes.”

“Have you any idea what could have happened? The smallest mistake with that draught might have turned it into a poison! Were you so anxious to break the rules that you felt it worth risking your own life?”

”I – I didn’t think-“

“ _That_ is painfully clear,” he interrupted, his eyes glittering.

“I just –“ she sighed heavily. “-just wanted to be myself.”

“Back on that, are we? You foolish child – appearances and names have _nothing_ to do with who you are. That glamour potion was for your own protection-“

“From what?” she asked quickly, her heart racing. This was as close to an explanation as she’d ever been given. “What do I need protecting from?”

“Do _not_ interrupt me again,” he warned. “It is not your place to question _me_.”

“Yes, sir,” she muttered.

"What's happened to your hand?" he asked suddenly, indicating the handkerchief still wrapped around her palm.

"Oh, nothing," she lied, wincing as he removed it, pulling some dead skin from the wound. "I fell getting off the train."

He grasped her hand and studied it intently before dropping it. "It's just a scratch, nothing that won't heal on its own," he muttered, more to himself than Aurora. They continued to walk, neither of them saying anything, until they approached the corridor that contained the entrance to the common room.

"So _this_ is what you consider good behavior?" he snarled. "Not even the first day of the term, and you're already sneaking out of your dormitory!" His anger seemed to have resurfaced as Aurora continued to stare at her feet as if there were something terribly interesting about them. "May I remind you that you are supposed to be keeping a low profile?" He leaned down to her, his hand under her chin to force her to look at him face-to-face. His eyes were narrowed until they were barely open, his nostrils flaring with indignation.

"Five points from Ravenclaw for being out-of-bounds, and as for the glamour -“ he paused, as though he was trying to think of a suitable punishment. “Any further errors of judgment on your part, and you’ll be on a train to Beauxbatons. Do I make myself clear?" She nodded, pulling her head away so he couldn't see her tears. "Good. Now get back to your dormitory."

He watched as she walked over to Jonna, spoke the password softly, and then disappeared through the door. Sighing as he walked back to his own quarters, he thought that coping with both James' son _and_ his own daughter at Hogwarts was going to make this a _very_ long year.


	5. The Four Stooges

The next morning dawned bright and cheery, and found the previous night’s events pushed to the back of Aurora’s mind as she looked forward to beginning her classes. She was also pleased to finally learn the name of her tall blonde roommate – Kim Travis.

The four girls followed the other Ravenclaws down from the tower and into the Great Hall for breakfast. Just as Aurora was helping herself to a plate of sausages, Professor Flitwick appeared at the head of the table, a sheaf of parchments in his hand.

“Timetables!” whispered Jamie. “I wonder what we’ve got with Slytherin?” All four girls set aside their forks to look at their roster of classes. Aurora saw – with a great deal of relief and a small pang of disappointment – that they did not have Potions until Thursday morning.

A tremendous rustling tore Aurora’s eyes from her timetable in time to see the arrival of the post owls. Zooming in through every opening, owls of every shape, size, and color burst into the Hall, dropping parcels and letters into their recipient’s breakfasts. She was so engrossed in seeing a box fall into David’s cereal bowl at the far end of the table, covering him in milk, that she almost didn’t notice the arrival of a letter of her own.

_Ra,_

_Just wanted to let you know I was missing you already. Send me an owl if you need me for anything. Let me know how your first week goes._

_Love,_

_Uncle Steven_

"Who's it from?" Kim asked. "Your parents?"

"No, from my –“ she caught herself for the second time in as many days. “From Steven – he’s like an uncle," Aurora replied with a sigh, folding the letter and placing it in her cloak. "He wanted to make sure I got here okay." She finished her breakfast in silence, then returned with the others to get the books she'd need for the day's classes. On her way out of the Hall, she glanced towards the staff table. Her father had already gone, and she wondered if he was having as much difficulty as she in keeping their relationship a secret.

_Of course he isn’t_ , she thought bitterly. _He’s been pretending I don’t exist for eleven years_. Her friends called on her to hurry up, and she obeyed, pushing her father to the back of her mind.

Their first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but it was far from the fascinating subject they’d all expected. Professor Quirrell – the teacher with the purple turban her father had been sitting next to the previous night – had a rather pronounced stutter, and it seemed as though it took him five minutes to finish every sentence.

Halfway through the class, Aurora felt as though she would fall asleep. She rolled her eyes towards Kim, who had sat next to her, and she grinned back. A few moments later, Kim slid a piece of parchment over to Aurora. It was a picture of Quirrell, on what looked to be a deserted island. He had spelled out a message in rocks: 'P-PLEASE H-HELP M-ME!' Aurora had to stifle a giggle as she handed it back to Jamie and Erin.

Their next class was Herbology, which was infinitely more interesting to Aurora. Professor Sprout was friendly, and had no trace of a stutter. The only down side was that the class was shared with the Slytherins. Jamie, however, seemed thrilled when she spotted Draco Malfoy and his friends at the back table. Aurora did her best to ignore them – and the barely audible squeaks of excitement from Jamie – and by the end of the period, they had learned the names of six new plants, and had been assigned a short essay on each.

Just before lunch they had their first Transfiguration lesson with Professor McGonagall. Aurora had the strange feeling the stern witch had her eyes on her whenever Aurora wasn’t looking, but all her friends told her she was imagining it. She set an essay as well, and having also been given homework by Professor Quirrell, the four Ravenclaws set out for the library directly after lunch.

"I can't make heads or tails of these," complained Erin as she looked over her Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. "Do any of you have anything a bit more- intelligent?" Aurora handed hers over, although she doubted they were much better.

"Maybe we should just copy notes from the book from now on," she suggested. "What do you think, Jamie?" But Jamie wasn't sitting with them anymore. The first year Slytherins had just settled at a table, and Jamie was approaching it, her face twisted in nervous anticipation. Aurora watched as Draco sneered at her friend, but then shrugged. Jamie took the seat beside him, beaming.

“Something we said?” Kim asked the others.

“Give her time,” Erin advised. Aurora cast a skeptical glance towards her friend. Erin might think there was nothing to worry about, but as she looked back towards the Slytherins, she caught Draco’s eye - reflecting the loathing she was sure was in her own. Hoping Jamie wasn’t getting in over her head, Aurora turned back to her assignments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day started out to be worse than the first. When Aurora blinked her eyes open in the morning sun, she realized she was alone in the dorm. Sitting straight up in bed, she checked her watch – she was late. Breakfast was already over, and if she didn’t hurry, she’d be late for her first class.

She pulled her robes on, muttering under her breath about how rude it was to let people oversleep, then quickly stuffed her books into her bag. As she rounded the final corner to her classroom, she collided with another student, sending both of them sprawling to the floor. Picking herself up, she was shocked to see that she'd run head-on into Harry Potter.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, giving him a hand. "Are you okay?" He grinned down at her as he ran a hand through his unkempt hair.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We were just trying to get to class, but I'm afraid we've gotten a bit lost. I'm Harry Potter," he introuduced himself, as if she didn't know. "And this is Ron Weasley." Ron extended his hand, and she shook it, noticing the boy in the corner for the first time.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aurora Rinkle. What class are you trying to get to?"

"History of Magic, and we're nearly late!" She burst out laughing, and the boys looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

"What's so funny?" fumed Ron. "I don't think being lost on your second day is so horrible!"

"I'm sorry, it’s just that I think this," she indicated the door the boys had just passed, "is History of Magic. I'm in Ravenclaw - we have it now as well. C'mon." They walked in the door together, and the rest of the class looked up at them as they entered. Aurora quickly sat next to Kim as she waved to Harry and Ron. Jamie leaned in from the seat behind her, anger written all over her face.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, taking Aurora by surprise. Aurora glanced at her other friends, but they shook their heads in confusion.

"What do you mean? Oh, and thanks you guys, for not waking me up this morning!" Erin grinned at her.

"I told them not to," she said, glancing over at Ron and Harry.

"You were talking to Harry Potter!" Jamie ranted in a scandalized voice, not paying attention to Erin's comment.

"So? What's wrong with that?"

"Everything! Just because You-Know-Who lost his powers, everyone thinks he's so brave. He didn't _do_ anything, he was just a baby! But now everyone's determined to worship him. It makes me sick!"

"Jamie! I'm not worshipping him, I just talked to him! We ran into each other, literally, in the hall, and introduced ourselves. That's it, I swear! What's wrong with that?" Jamie didn't get a chance to reply as their teacher, Professor Binns, began roll call, but Erin nudged her from behind.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with either of them," she whispered, glancing towards Ron as she spoke.

As soon as the bell rang to end class, Jamie hurried on to Charms. She’d heard they’d be sharing it with Slytherin, and she was eager – the others assumed – to get a seat with one of them. Erin, Aurora, and Kim gathered up their books and left the class at a more sedate pace, arriving at the Charms class to see Jamie waiting impatiently.

"C'mon, guys! I want to introduce him, c'mon!" Wondering who 'him' was, they followed. Aurora stopped in her tracks as she saw who Jamie was leading them over to: Draco Malfoy. She braced herself for a confrontation, and walked over to where they stood. "This is Draco Malfoy, and these are his friends, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Basil Rosier." Aurora glared at the four of them. Vincent and Gregory were the two thugs who’d been with Draco on the train platform. The fourth boy – Basil – was a full head and shoulders taller than his three housemates, though nowhere near as portly as Vincent or Gregory.

"We've met before. What a pleasure, Doofus." Draco sneered contemptuously as the bell rang to begin class, and they all took their seats. Their teacher was her Head of House, Professor Flitwick, and his voice squeaked as he did roll call. She heard Draco and his cronies whispering behind her.

"Oh look," Draco said. "Even Pipsqueak is taller than him. I'm amazed!" Aurora tried to concentrate on what Professor Flitwick was saying, but Draco and his friends kept hurling insults at her. Finally, she spun around once the teacher’s back was turned.

"Oh look, the four stooges," she spat. "I suppose you're all perfect, then? What about your name, Draco? Sorry, but you don't even resemble a lizard, let alone a dragon, Doofus." She turned back around as Jamie stared at her, horrified. Erin and Kim, however, giggled and gave her a wink. There wasn't another sound out of the four Slytherins for the rest of the class. When the bell finally rang, Jamie swept past them, clutching Draco’s arm, trying her best to apologize for Aurora's behavior. Aurora rolled her eyes as they walked towards the common room. "I suppose she's mad at me again, then?"

"Don't worry about it too much, Aurora. She's probably just trying to make some friends," offered Kim. Aurora didn't answer, and they walked the rest of the way back to the common room in silence.

They didn’t see Jamie again until lunchtime, where they were mildly surprised at the fact that she’d saved them all seats.

"It's all right, I've smoothed it out with Draco, and he's willing to forgive you if you apologize to him, Aurora," she explained as the other girls sat down. Aurora's mouth dropped open.

"You're joking, right? There's no way I'm apologizing to him!" Jamie's face quickly turned red, and Aurora hurriedly tried to placate her. "Look, we don't have to like the exact same people for the two of us to be friends, do we?" Jamie looked at her for a minute, and then shook her head.

"I guess not. But he's really not that bad, honestly!" Aurora exchanged looks with Erin and Kim, but the friends said nothing, and quietly ate their lunch.


	6. Potions and Palms

Breakfast on Thursday passed in a blur as Aurora awaited her first Potions class with her father. A mixed jumble of feelings ran through her body – interest in the actual subject was at the forefront, but there was a prickle of anxiety about sitting through a double class with her father glaring at her. She could only guess how he would treat her during the period, but having determined that she would do well no matter how her father chose to act, she had skimmed through _1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi_ and _Magical Draughts and Potions_ a second time _._

"Let's get the front row! Snape's head of Slytherin, I want to make a good impression!" Jamie suggested, looking anxiously at their faces as they waited outside the dungeon classroom. Aurora tried not to roll her eyes as Kim laughed.

"From what I've heard, _nobody_ makes a good impression on Snape, Jamie." Erin said nothing, but looked at Aurora as the other two began bickering.

"He's probably not any worse than any other teacher here!" Jamie retorted, her hands on her hips.

"Well, _I_ heard -" But Kim didn't get a chance to say what exactly it was that she'd heard as the door swung open to reveal their beckoning professor. Aurora took a deep breath and hurried by him, determined to sit in the very last row. Kim and Erin followed her, and Jamie, although very disgruntled, plopped beside her as well.

"I still think we should sit in the front," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest grumpily. After a minute the class had all been seated, the _thud_ of the door closing echoed through the class, and all eyes turned to their professor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus began roll call immediately upon reaching his desk, priding himself on the way he transitioned smoothly from Patil, Padma to Rinkle, Aurora, and then to Smith, Zacharias. Looking up as he prepared to give his annual start-of-term speech, he noted that his daughter and her friends had chosen the seat furthest from him.

_Perhaps she has some sense after all_. The eyes of twenty children were focused on him, waiting for him to address them. Severus wondered, as he did with each new class, how much his reputation had preceded him. With a smirk, he ended the suspense.

“I am Professor Snape. While you sit in this class, it should go without mention that I will _not_ tolerate outbursts of any kind. Any rule breaking,” he looked pointedly towards Aurora, “will result in a detention – at the very least. Open your books to page five and begin work on the Boil Curing draught. I _will_ be monitoring your progress – I suggest you prepare yourselves accordingly.”

There was a rustling noise as all the students opened their books and took out their cauldrons. He began walking around the room, quick to point out mistakes, even the most minute. "That slug hasn't been properly stewed. Five points from Ravenclaw." As he approached the table at which Aurora worked, his mind drifted to what he’d overheard that morning at breakfast.

Several of the first year Slytherins – Draco Malfoy heading them – had been talking amongst themselves about Aurora. Severus done his best to listen to their conversation without seeming to eavesdrop, and he knew he’d gotten the gist of it when Draco had asserted his intent to do Aurora harm the following day.

Severus had been pondering the best course of action. Feuds between Slytherins and the other houses were commonplace, but he had been party to far too many of Lucius Malfoy’s exploits to take his son’s threats lightly. The only thing for it, Severus had decided, was to warn his daughter against making the wrong enemies. And now he arrived at her side, and put the plan he’d devised into motion.

Muttering under his breath as he passed her supplies, a bottle of snake fangs fell onto the floor and shattered, scattering its contents everywhere. "Do be more careful, Miss Rinkle. Those fangs need to be sterile -"

"I know that, Professor," she interrupted. "I've already added them. I'm nearly done now." Severus narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he peered into her cauldron. It certainly _looked_ as though it had been correctly brewed and was now ready to be taken off the fire. He frowned, remembering her tale of brewing the glamour counter before the start of term. Perhaps she was more like him than he cared to admit.

"Evidently you were not paying attention at the beginning of this period, Miss Rinkle, or you would have heard me say that I do not tolerate outbursts of _any_ kind,” he said quietly. He could feel nineteen other pairs of eyes on him as he continued to stare down at his daughter. “Detention. Stay after class to arrange it. And clean up those snake fangs," he added, as he turned back to the front of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as her father’s back was turned, Aurora stuck her tongue out at him, then took her cauldron off the fire and added her porcupine quills. She then bent down to clean up the mess on the floor. If she wasn’t sure he’d send her straight to Beauxbatons, she would have _shown_ him an outburst.

“ _Reparo_ , _”_ she muttered, sweeping the snake fangs back into the now whole bottle. She stood, bottle of un-sterilized fangs in her hand, and glanced over at Erin’s cauldron.

"I don't think that it's supposed to be red, Erin," she pointed out, re-reading the passage in their book. “Definitely not.”

"Oh, I know. I'm not sure where I went wrong, though." This statement took Aurora by surprise as Erin always seemed to know everything.

"Maybe you added the nettles before the slugs?" Aurora offered. Erin shrugged, and then started to add the snake fangs from the bottle Aurora had set back onto the table.

"Erin, no -!" But it was too late. Erin dumped her crushed fangs into the cauldron, which immediately began to shake violently. "Duck!" Aurora yelled, dragging her friends under the desk with her just as the cauldron spewed its contents. Thick and smelling like bile, the concoction splattered on the wall behind their desk as well as the unfortunate classmates who were standing in front of them.

After it had all calmed down, they carefully crawled out and stood up to survey the damage. Aurora bit her lip as she saw her father standing next to the cauldron, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched in fury. "It was an accident," she began.

"Silence!" Though it was barely more than a whisper, it had the desired effect. Aurora and Erin stood side-by-side, exchanging guilty looks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Severus stared down at the two girls, he knew he would have to give them _both_ detention, and the thought made him even angrier. He'd planned on speaking with Aurora alone after class, but now this other girl was making a mess of things. The bell rang, forcing him to make a decision.

"You two," he growled, "Will stay and clean up." The other students began hurriedly packing up their books, but his voice rose over the noise. "I have not dismissed you yet!" The classroom grew deathly still as he surveyed the students' faces. "Your assignment is to read the section on this draught and write four feet on its properties and other uses, to be handed in to me next class."

They waited anxiously, a couple of them glancing at their watches. "Dismissed."

The class fought their way out the door, a few of them pausing to give the two girls a sympathetic glance. After the last student had left, Severus turned back to Aurora and Erin. "Why haven't you started yet? Get this cleaned up, now!" As they scrambled around for their wands, he walked back up to his desk, still scowling.

_Now what?_ _I can’t very well let Cafferty off without making her suspicious._ He suddenly remembered something Minerva had been complaining about earlier in the day, and he knew his problem was as good as solved. Aurora and Erin came up to the desk, stuffing their books into their bags as they went.

"We're finished cleaning up, Professor Snape," Erin said as she closed her bag.

"Miss Cafferty, your detention -"

"You're giving her a detention?" Aurora asked indignantly.

"Miss Rinkle, if you interrupt me once more, _you_ will have detention for a week." She kept her mouth shut, but fidgeted angrily as she waited for him to finish.

"As I was saying, Miss Cafferty, you will serve your detention tonight with Professor McGonagall. The droppings from her third year animal transfigurations are getting out of hand. I'm sure she'll be delighted when I offer her your services. You may leave now." He saw her give Aurora an encouraging glance before she left the class, then he turned back to his daughter.

"As for _you_ , I must say I am very disappointed." Aurora didn't respond, but continued to glare at him. "I had thought after our conversation the other night, you would have curbed your attitude. Apparently I was mistaken. You will report to me for your detention directly after supper."

"Can I go now, _professor_?"

"Just a moment. I have something I wish to discuss with you." He rose from his desk, crossing his hands behind his back as he looked down at her. "I heard about your meeting with Mr. Malfoy." To his consternation, she laughed.

"Oh, you mean Doofus? Yeah, I've met him a couple of times."

”I’d advise taking him a bit more seriously,” Severus cautioned dryly.

"Why? He's just a bully."

”Do _not_ give Draco reason to attack you,” Severus said firmly, skirting her question.

"I won't let someone like that walk all over me," she said stubbornly, the venom in her words startling him. Her eyes had narrowed as his so often did – and he knew there was no getting around her.

“It would be prudent to tread carefully where he is concerned,” he instructed nevertheless before dismissing her. _That stubborn streak; she sure as hell inherited that from me,_ he thought as he watched her leave _._

Determined not to dwell on whatever character flaws he’d passed on to his daughter, he began to prepare for his next class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora left the dungeons and headed outside, her temper boiling. A detention – for brewing her potion correctly? And poor Erin -

“What did we tell you?” Aurora heard Kim’s voice, full of indignation, before she saw her. She was sitting under a beech tree beside the lake, Jamie and Erin beside her. From the looks of things, Kim had been bashing the Slytherins again.

"Hey," she said testily as she dropped her books to the ground.

"So what happened? What do you have to do for your detention?" Erin asked, her attention turned from Jamie. Aurora looked at her as she realized she had no idea.

"He never said," she replied, frowning. "I suppose he'll tell me tonight."

"Ugh! You've got to have detention with Snape?" Kim asked, ignoring the annoyed look that passed over Jamie’s face. "I wouldn't wish that on anybody!" Erin was watching Aurora intently, something that had begun to irritate her.

"Will you please tell me why you're always staring at me, Erin? I feel like I'm on trial or something!" Erin dropped her gaze, but didn't answer, and Aurora immediately regretted her words. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just that Snape got me so flustered. I mean, don't you think it's funny that my snake fangs fell the minute he stood next to the desk?"

"Are you saying _he_ made them fall?" Jamie asked, astonished.

"I don't know," Aurora said, exasperated now that she’d vocalized her suspicions. "Maybe. All I know is that we'd better try to be on our best behavior in that class, or I'll never have a night _without_ detention." The girls laughed at her comment, and Aurora felt her anger ebb as her lips twitched into a smile.

"What's so funny?" The girls looked up to see Harry and Ron walking towards them. Aurora waved in greeting, and then introduced the group.

"I've got a detention already," Aurora explained as the boys joined the circle. Jamie shot a glare towards Harry, but had the good grace to keep her mouth shut.

"What did you do?" She told him about Potions, and then Erin spoke up.

"Don't try and test him, Harry. He's not a very nice teacher."

“Why would I do that?” Harry asked, frowning. “Besides, I don’t think he likes me very well as it is.”

“I don’t think he likes _anyone_ ,” Kim replied with a grin. Aurora saw Jamie’s lips turn down in disapproval, but she remained silent. The group chatted amicably amongst themselves, but Aurora found herself tuning them out as she began to pick idly at the scab on her palm, her thoughts turning again to her father.

She hadn’t expected him to suddenly shock her with a heartfelt moment, but she hadn’t expected him to orchestrate a detention, either. It just didn’t seem _fair_. She briefly thought about writing to Steven – he would have something to say about it, she was sure – but she also knew it would do no good. Then she thought of Malichi – no doubt having the time of his life, enjoying his much anticipated holiday – and didn’t feel it was important enough to bother her godfather with. After all, it was only the first class – things were bound to get better during the year – and her father was no doubt still angry about her reversal of the glamour potion. She would not write to anyone, not unless she had a very good reason.

She glanced up from her scab as she realized the conversation had completely died, and was startled to see every face turned towards her.

“What did I do?” she asked immediately, searching their faces. Erin, sitting next to her, seemed to have gotten quite a shock – her face was pale, and her eyes were wide with disbelief. Aurora became unsettled when she noticed that Erin was staring at her palm.

“What?” she asked again.

“Your _palm_ ,” Erin whispered. Aurora frowned. Erin had known she’d scraped her hand on Sunday evening – why was she suddenly concerned with it? Before Aurora could protest, Erin had grabbed her hand and began studying it closely, her fingers tracing the lines and muttering under her breath.

“Erin?” Aurora prodded, her eyebrows raised with concern. “What are you doing? It’s just a scratch!” But Erin continued tracing, her touch light as it traveled the length of Aurora’s life line. The shorter girl finally managed to yank her hand from her friend’s grasp, and fixed an expectant stare on her face.

Erin shook her head, as though she’d come out of a trance, and seemed surprised to find everyone staring at her.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “It’s – I hadn’t seen it with the bandage off,” she explained. Aurora didn’t believe it for a second.

“You didn’t even go _near_ the scab,” she accused, glancing down at her palm with a frown. “What was so interesting?” But as she asked the question, she thought she already knew. As though the final piece of a puzzle had fallen into place, Aurora suddenly understood how the girl sitting beside her seemed to know everything before she was told.

“Go on,” she pushed, offering her palm again. “Tell _us_ what you read.” Erin stared at her, the green of her eyes pulsating with energy.

“What are you talking about, Aurora?” Kim asked from the other side of Erin. Aurora said nothing, but kept her gaze locked onto her friend’s. After a moment, Erin tentatively took Aurora’s hand in her own.

“Your love line is strong,” Erin said quietly. Aurora heard a sharp intake of breath, though she could no longer see her friends’ reactions. What they thought, however, was apparent a moment later.

“You read _palms_?” Jamie asked, her voice tinged with excitement. “That is so _neat!_ ” Kim murmured in agreement, but Aurora saw Harry arch a skeptical brow at Ron.

“You got that worked up over my _love_ line?” Aurora scoffed. Erin was beginning to look uncomfortable, but Aurora pressed on. “C’mon – it can’t be _that_ bad!” The taller girl bit her lip before lowering her eyes again to Aurora’s hand.

“Your life line – it –“ she stopped, her eyes flicking back up to Aurora’s. “It’s not continuous,” she said slowly. Aurora frowned.

“So?”

“It means –“ again she paused to refocus her gaze, this time to the ground, as she mumbled the rest of her sentence.

“Erin!” she shouted, interested despite the fact that she had never put much stock into palmistry.

“It means you might die soon!” Erin shouted back, her eyes suddenly blazing. “You see this?” she jabbed a finger at the beginning of Aurora’s life line. “This gap near the top means there’s a time when you’ll be in grave danger – and it’s positioned near the beginning of your life – in your _childhood_.” The group of friends grew silent, until Aurora suddenly guffawed loudly.

“Oh, come _on_ ,” she said between laughs. “Nice try, Erin, but I’m not that gullible.” The rest of the group began to laugh as well, but Erin kept her gaze unwaveringly focused on Aurora.

“If you don’t believe _that_ ,” she said quietly. “You won’t believe the reason your life line doesn’t begin at the edge of your hand, either.”

“You may as well tell me,” Aurora said, still grinning. “It’s more entertaining than thinking about my detention.”

“A gap in your life line represents great danger – and a gap at the start, like yours, means you almost died when you were a baby.” Aurora rolled her eyes again as her friends began laughing in earnest.

“Don’t you think _I’d_ know if something like that had happened?” she asked with a grin.

“No,” Erin replied simply. “Especially not if it was something nobody wanted to talk about.” Despite her explanation, Aurora’s smile stayed firmly in place.

“Even _my_ family would have told me _that_ ,” she said. “But thanks for giving us all a heart attack with that bunk!”

“It _isn’t_ bunk!” Erin shouted, now on her feet. “Take a look at Harry’s, if you don’t believe me. Everyone knows about You-Know-You trying to kill _him_. Which means his life line should start just like yours!” Aurora opened her mouth to refute her friend again, but was stopped by Harry.

“She’s right,” he said quietly, his brow furrowed as he stared between his palm and Aurora’s. “Look for yourself.”

“So?” Aurora asked, pushing aside his outstretched hand. “I’m sure _loads_ of people have life lines like that – I bet even one of those three have it.” The remaining students glanced at their hands, but one by one shook their heads. Aurora was beginning to feel a smidgen of doubt.

“Well, it doesn’t mean I’m going to die,” she argued, more to convince herself than anyone else. But her friends were all staring at her with worried faces. “With any luck, it’ll be before Snape’s detention tonight,” she said lightly, wishing she felt as unconcerned as she sounded. When nobody laughed, she stood and excused herself. She had letters to write, and if she was to prove Erin wrong, they could not wait.


	7. Detention

"Stop worrying so much," Jamie admonished at dinner as Aurora glanced anxiously at her father for what must have been the tenth time. "Whatever he makes you do can't be _that_ bad."

"I think she's very smart to be on edge," Kim interjected. "I know _I've_ heard more than a few stories about how demented he is."

"I'm with Jamie," Erin offered quietly. "He's not going to make you do anything that's going to hurt you. Just relax, okay?"

"I can't help it! I keep thinking about what those fifth years said in the library. They were talking about past detentions with him, and I just _know_ I'll throw up if I have to disembowel _anything_." She looked up at her father again, her mind reeling with ideas of what her punishment would be, each more frightening than the last. And though she didn’t want to admit it, Erin’s palmistry was still on her mind. She’d written identical letters to Steven and Malichi, asking each if there might have been a time when she was seriously ill. If they wrote back and denied it, the rest of Erin’s predictions would be banished from her mind. But if they confirmed it…

"You won't throw up if you don't eat anything," Jamie said. "You haven't taken a bite of food since you sat down." Aurora looked at her plate, surprised to see that Jamie was right.

"I'm not really hungry," she said worriedly as she pushed her plate away. "I think I'll go wait in the classroom. I'm supposed to be there right after dinner, anyway."

"Do you want us to walk down with you?" Kim asked.

"No, thanks. Good luck with the droppings in McGonagall's class, Erin." Erin grinned mischievously at her, their quarrel from earlier in the afternoon forgotten.

"Luck will have nothing to do with it. I read all about this scouring spell that will finish it in no time." Aurora managed a feeble grin at her friend as she stood from the table. Looking in her father’s direction once again, she saw that he'd already left the Hall.

"Oh, wonderful," she moaned. "He's probably already down there, getting a barrel full of pig's brains ready for me to pickle." Rolling her eyes and sighing dramatically, she waved goodbye and walked down to the dungeons. Pushing open the door to the classroom, she noticed that it was empty.

"That's odd," she muttered, as she thought of his vacant seat when she'd left. Thinking he might be in his office, she checked it as well, but it was empty. Finally deciding she should just wait for him, she sat at the desk directly in front of her father’s. An envelope was sitting on the table, with 'ARS' on the front. _’ARS’,_ Aurora thought. _Aurora Renee Snape, right?_

Frowning, she picked it up, wondering if it was a note to explain her father's absence. She opened the envelope, pulling out a sheet of parchment. As she unfolded it, another scrap fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up, noticing that it appeared to be a photograph, though there was nothing to indicate the date. It looked like it was printed on newsprint, giving her the idea that it came from _The Daily Prophet._

Studying the picture, she recognized her father, who was standing next to a group of angry looking wizards, their wands at the ready. However, it was what was _not_ moving that made her sick to her stomach. In the background of the photo, two bodies lay, not very far apart from each other; a man, and a woman. She didn't recognize either of the victims, but realized with a jolt that the picture had been taken _in her sitting room_. Remembering the paper she still held in her hand, she turned to it. The words which appeared startled her even more than the picture:

We know what you are

You cannot hide

" _What_ I am? What's that supposed to mean?" she muttered as she looked down at the clipping again. Hearing footsteps, she turned to see her father enter the classroom, looking extremely grouchy. Deciding it was probably best not to ask him questions she knew he'd avoid, she hastily stuffed the envelope containing the letter inside her robes. Her eyes followed him as he walked to his desk, wondering if perhaps the letter _had_ been from him. Maybe it was a test to see who she'd go to - well, she certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her run to her friends like a scared rabbit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm surprised that you are here on time," Severus snapped at his daughter as he reached his desk. He’d been detained after dinner when the wretched Poltergiest, Peeves, had started chucking Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans at the back of his head. The detour to find the Bloody Baron had turned his mood from annoyed to volatile, and he was in _no_ frame of mind to mince words.

Auroa’s expression did not change at his tone – she met his narrowed eyes unwaveringly, as though she was challenging him. Severus frowned. He didn’t tolerate insolence from any other student, and he’d be damned if he’d take it from his own daughter.

“The desks need scraping,” he growled. “The use of magic will not be permitted.” She relinquished her wand into his outstretched hand without so much as a frown, causing Severus to furrow his brow further. Something was not right – even _he_ could tell she was not herself. Aurora met his eyes again before accepting the putty knife with which to begin her task, and he found his gaze following her small form to the farthest corner.

He could see her lips barely moving as she began scraping the remains of potions and ingredients his students had left behind. _No doubt berating me_ , he mused. Severus watched her for a while longer, but his daughter never once stopped working or turned to look back towards him.

Knowing that the sixth year NEWT work that littered his desk had yet to be graded, he tore his gaze from Aurora and began going over the assignments. He shook his head as he studied the phials before him. These dunderheads were supposed to be the cream of the crop, yet only one had successfully remembered how to brew a simple restorative potion. He groaned inwardly, his mind already aching at the prospect of the review papers he must now assign – and be obliged to grade.

His gaze left the register after recording the students’ marks, finding that Aurora had finished nearly half the desks, her momentum apparently unabated, and then fell to the following day’s class lists. The ache in his temples from the grading of the NEWT restoratives increased as he saw that he had not only Draco Malfoy, but the Potter and Weasley brats – in a double period directly after breakfast.

Muttering under his breath, he withdrew the dozen or so forbidden items he’d confiscated from the Weasly twins just that afternoon in the corridor, and went into his office to secure them. The twins were due for detention the following evening, and as he stashed the contraband in the drawer of his desk – already brimming with similar objects – he began to ponder what nasty job he could have them perform.

Aurora came in before he’d made up his mind, her round face flushed scarlet with exertion. Her hair had shaken loose from its ponytail, sweat plastering a few flyaways to her forehead.

"I'm done," she stated, holding out the putty knife. "Can I have my wand back now?"

Severus accepted the knife, but did not answer until after he had replaced it in his drawer. Straightening to his full height, he looked down at the girl that stood before him, again locking eyes with her. He was reminded of the feeling he’d had when he’d entered – that something was amiss.

”Has something happened?” he asked. “Something I should know about?” A flicker of indecision crept into her eyes, but it was pushed back as she shook her head.

“Nothing,” she said flatly. “Am I allowed to go now?” He withdrew her wand, and she reached for it, letting out a frustrated sigh when he pulled it back.

“You’re quite sure?” he pressed, his eyes roving her face, taking in the smallest reaction.

“I’m _fine_.” Despite her insistence, he was sure she was keeping something from him. He handed her the wand reluctantly, toying with the idea of using Legillimency on her – but she had already turned away, and was apparently eager to leave both her detention and her father behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora made her way to Ravenclaw tower, her conscience at odds with her emotions. Should she have told her father about the mysterious envelope and its contents?

_What good would it have done_? her emotions argued.

_Maybe he would have known what it was,_ her conscience chimed in. Whatever her father’s reaction would have been was a moot point now, at any rate. She knew she wouldn’t bother him with it - it hadn’t hurt her, after all.

Erin was sitting at a table in the corner of the common room when Aurora entered, working on her homework. She smiled and waved Aurora over, who sank into the chair gratefully.

"Ugh. I don't think I _ever_ want to go through that again. I think I scraped up a bit of brains that had been burnt on." She shuddered at the memory, sending Erin into a fit of giggles. "How did yours go, then?" Aurora asked sharply over her laughter.

"McGonagall didn't agree with the detention, so she let me use my spell. It took me all of about five minutes. I've been back for ages." Erin wore a content smile, and from the looks of the stack of parchment beside her books, had finished nearly all of her homework for the week.

"Well, I guess that's fair,” Aurora said with a shrug. “I mean, you didn't really _do_ anything, did you?"

"You didn't do anything either."

"I interrupted him when he was speaking. A sin worthy of death." Erin nodded knowingly, and then leaned in close so that she could not be heard by the other students.

"Don't worry, Aurora. Your secret is safe with me."

"Really? What secret would that be?" Aurora asked, forcing a casual look onto her face. Her heart raced as Erin leaned even closer, her voice hushed.

"I know that Aurora Rinkle is not your full name. I know that something happened this afternoon -" She cocked her head to one side, then nodded absently. "And I know that nobody is supposed to know that Severus Snape is your father." Aurora stared at her friend in mild shock – she’d guessed that Erin had some sort of second sight, but she hadn’t realized that it would extend to her parentage.

"If you know all of that," Aurora began slowly, "Then you must have sent me this." She withdrew the letter from her robes and tossed it on the table. Erin glanced at it, her eyes widening.

"No, Aurora, I swear, it wasn't me!" She looked almost afraid of it, her eyes darting around the room to ascertain if anyone else had noticed it.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Aurora asked. "You know everything about me – you must have known I’d get it, and _who_ sent it!”

"Aurora, I _don't_ know everything," Erin whimpered. Their conversation ended abruptly as Kim and Jamie suddenly appeared next to them, confused looks on their faces.

"What’s going on?" Kim asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Erin and Aurora.

"Nothing," Aurora said, slipping the letter back into her robes. "Just asking Erin if she knew who sent me a letter today."

"Why are you asking Erin?" Jamie asked. Aurora kept her eyes trained on Erin as she addressed her other dormmates.

”It was obvious,” she said softly. “I’m surprised none of us have realized before now.”

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kim asked, her voice rising.

"Put it all together, Kim. Erin seems to know everything about us; Erin seemingly can read palms…" Kim's eyes widened as she realized what Aurora was implying. Seeing that Jamie still looked confused, Aurora spelled it out for her.

"Erin's a Seer."


	8. S.P.A.M.

A silence settled over the four girls, the air surrounding them suddenly thick with tension.

"A SEER? You've got to be kidding!" Jamie shouted. She looked at Erin accusingly. "Why didn't you tell us yourself?"

”Because,” Erin explained, her eyes brimming with tears. “Every time I tell people, they want me to predict stuff for them.”

"Like what?" Kim asked quietly. Aurora could tell by the look on her friend's face that she hadn't decided yet how she felt.

"How they’ll do on their exams, if the person they like will ever notice them – stuff like that." Erin looked thoroughly miserable, making Aurora regret her hasty announcement.

"For someone who didn't want us to find out, you sure did a horrible job of hiding it," Aurora pointed out quietly.

"Well, I never could resist the urge to show off a bit," Erin said, wiping her eyes as she grinned at them. “It’s more fun when people don’t realize what you’re doing.”

"Maybe we should take this to the dorm," suggested Kim as many of the other Ravenclaws began looking at them curiously. "Before -" but it was too late. David was already on his way over, his arms folded across his chest, his face screwed up with annoyance.

"What's all this racket over here?" he asked, glaring at Erin as he spoke.

"Nothing, Dave. Just a group of friends chatting." Aurora met his gaze unwaveringly as she offered her explanation. David cast another glance at Erin before turning to Aurora.

"I should have _known_ that you'd be behind this."

"Behind what? We weren't _doing_ anything, Dave. We were just talking! You can't get us in trouble for that!"

"MY NAME IS DAVID!" he roared, causing Jamie to shrink back. Aurora, however, sat perfectly still. His face twisted into a sneer as he spoke again, his eyes glittering maliciously. "You'd better not put so much as a toe out of line around here, Rinkle, or I will _personally_ see to it that you get what’s coming to you." He turned on his heel and went out of the door, leaving the four friends to stare after him.

"Why's he always so crotchety?" Aurora asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe he's got a crush on you," Jamie offered as the other girls snickered and Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Not unless he likes the grunge look," Erin countered, flashing a smile at Aurora.

"You do look a bit, well – horrible," Kim pointed out.

"As if you lot would look any better after scraping desks down in Snape's class without magic all night!" They all laughed, and then Aurora looked at her watch. "Is that really the time? Ugh, I've got to take a bath before we go to Astronomy. I'll see you three later." She yawned as she went up to the dorm room to grab a clean set of robes. Hearing someone come in, she turned to the doorway, a bit surprised when she saw Erin.

"Thanks," she said softly, fresh tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"For what? Telling everyone your secret?"

"Like you pointed out, it wasn't very well kept. Besides, I'm glad it's out in the open now."

"Why?"

"Now you won't freak out when I try to help. Especially with your dad." Aurora turned back to her trunk, avoiding Erin's eyes as she searched for her toothbrush.

"Yeah, well I don't really think anyone can help me with that." Erin walked up beside her and put her arm on her shoulder.

"Just be patient, Aurora. It's going to take some time, but things will get better, trust me." Aurora looked at her friend's face, wanting to believe what she said.

"Erin, I have to ask you again -" it was Erin's turn to avoid her friend's eyes as she guessed the rest of the question.

"Aurora, like I said before, I don't automatically know everything. It's a very erratic gift; it comes and goes when _it_ chooses, not when I do."

"But you _always_ seem to know something that's happened with me," she protested feebly.

"For some reason, you’re particularly easy for me to read. I can see bits of what has or will happen, but not always who is responsible, or why."

“Well,” Aurora began awkwardly. “I guess I know better than to ever try to lie to you!” She gave Erin a dimpled smile before heading to the bath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora sank gratefully into her bed after their midnight Astronomy class, now feeling the ache of her physical exertion during detention. It seemed as though she would be asleep before her head hit the pillow, but when she closed her eyes, the mysterious photograph floated before her eyes.

She found herself standing between the two corpses, watching her father argue with the other wizards. The other figures started to fade slowly away, until Aurora was left facing the two bodies. A tendril of fear crept down her spine – the black and white figure of the woman on the floor had begun to move. The corpse was lifted onto her feet, her long hair covering most of her face as she turned towards Aurora. The woman screamed, a horrible, hair-raising cry that had Aurora covering her ears in an attempt to block it out. A jet of green light appeared out of nowhere and struck the floating corpse in the chest.

Her back arched, her head thrown back at a gruesome angle, she reached a hand towards Aurora in a final plea. Aurora felt rooted to the spot – what could she do? The corpse fell again to the ground, her breaths becoming more and more shallow.

Aurora found that she could now move, and she hesitantly crept to the woman’s side. There was something familiar about her – but before she could put her finger on it, the corpse had grasped Aurora’s arm, her sightless eyes turned towards her as she uttered her final word, “ _Severus!_ ”

Aurora bolted up in her bed in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She took several gulps of cool air as she tried to force the echo of the woman’s cry from her mind, knowing that it was significant. Who was this woman who had died with her father’s name on her lips?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down on the first floor, Severus was having a restless night of his own. Sleep had not come easy to him since he was a boy, and it having eluded him again, he took up his normal practice of staring into the fire. His brooding thoughts turned, as they frequently did, to Aurora's late mother.

She had been his antithesis in every way – from her love for bright clothing to her unyielding patience. He had never been able to place his finger on just what it was she saw in him – but Marie had made it perfectly clear that the sun had risen and set with Severus.

A knock on his door startled him from his thoughts, and he called for the guest to enter. Albus swung open the door, carrying two steaming mugs.

"I thought you could do with some hot tea," he explained in answer to Severus’ questioning look. The older wizard set one of the cups in front of him, and he accepted it without a sound. A comfortable silence settled for a minute as Albus took a seat in the chair across from him, sipping from his own mug before speaking again. "How did the detention go?" Severus’ eyes traveled from the rim of his mug to Albus’ face. He was desperately trying to look disinterested, as though the matter of Severus’ daughter was simply a conversational foray – and failing miserably.

“As well as usual,” he replied sardonically. Albus arched his eyebrow in interest, as though he had just had a stroke of insight.

"Perhaps you are expecting too much, Severus."

"At this point, I don't think it's fair to expect anything at all," he retorted, suddenly eager to end their meeting.

"Who's fault is that, then?" His tone had remained soft and even, but Severus could see the condemnation in his eyes. Severus stood impatiently from the chair.

”I assure you, Albus, that I am well aware of my failings –“

"Let me just say one last thing," he pressed as he rose from the chair.

"Well?" he asked, his arms crossed defensively over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at his employer.

"It is not too late to change things, Severus. Keep that in mind." He walked from the room without a backward glance, leaving the younger wizard to stare once more into the flames. _Not too late_? he thought mockingly. _What would he have me do – begin hugging the girl whenever we meet?_ He gave a strange half-chuckle as he imagined Aurora’s face should he begin showering affection on her. _Not too late, indeed_ , he sniffed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breakfast the following morning was a somber affair. Having been unable to go back to sleep, Aurora had lain awake for the rest of the night, questions swirling through her mind about what she’d dreamt. Could she believe _any_ of it?

From time to time her eyes would flick from her uneaten sausages to her father, seated at the staff table, apparently unperturbed. She knew better than to approach him with any questions she had – what was she to say? _Sorry to bother you, Father, but a dead woman in my dream called out your name, and I was just wondering if you might know why?_ Aurora scoffed at her sausages. Her friends had remained silent since they’d sat down, and she now became aware that three pairs of eyes were focused on her bowed head.

"What?" she asked testily, raising her head to stare at them.

"Have a bad night?" Jamie asked, concerned.

”Why?”Aurora asked, her voice short and her guard immediately up.

“Because you haven’t said two words together since you woke up,” Kim pointed out, her eyebrows raised at Aurora’s tone. Aurora’s eyes traveled over her friends’ faces – Kim and Jamie were staring at her intently, but Erin seemed to find her cereal bowl much more interesting.

“Didn’t sleep well,” Aurora muttered, turning back to her own uneaten breakfast. “Dreamt about scraping brains all night.” The other girls chuckled and began eating again, apparently satisfied with her answer. When the four of them left the table, Erin held Aurora back a bit.

”You didn’t dream about scraping desks,” she chided. Aurora sighed.

"No, I didn’t. But I don't really feel like talking about it right now. Maybe this afternoon."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Pipsqueak and the freak." The girls turned around to see Draco smirking at them, his arms crossed over his chest. "Heard you've already had a detention, Rinkle. Tsk, tsk. It's not even the end of the first week."

"You have Snape today, Malfoy. You'll see just how easy it is to get detention from him!" Aurora shot back.

"I don't think so," he replied airily. "He and my father go _way_ back. I'm sure he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their friendship." With one last sneer, he turned and led his trio of henchmen down to the dungeons. Aurora and Erin glared after him, not noticing when her father appeared behind them.

”Off to class,” he instructed coolly. “Don’t want to be late now, do you?” Aurora frowned at his tone – he was still condescending, no doubt, but she thought it seemed, well, _lighter_ than usual somehow. When they did not hurry along, he simply brushed past them and disappeared down the stairs Draco and his friends had just descended.

"That was odd," Aurora mused. Erin began pulling on her sleeve.

"He's right, we'll be late if we don't hurry, come on!" They hurried to Transfiguration, getting into their seats just moments before the bell rang to begin class. As Professor McGonagall collected their assignments, Kim leaned over to ask where they'd been.

"Held up by Doofus!" Aurora whispered with disgust.

"I know just the thing that will cheer you up! We'll go this afternoon," Kim said as she began to scribble notes from the blackboard onto her parchment.

Despite the constant questions from her dorm mates, Kim refused to tell them what she had planned for them that afternoon. All through Defense Against the Dark Arts, and then Herbology and lunch, they tried to guess what it was.

“You’ll never figure it out,” Kim chided for the fiftieth time as they took their seats for Charms.

“Just tell us, then!” Jamie exploded, causing them all to giggle. But Kim said nothing more until they had left Charms behind.

“This is going to keep you in stitches,” she said mysteriously as she led them down the stairs and into the autumn afternoon. Aurora could make out a gathering of students beneath the beech tree by the lake. A tiny witch stood on top of a boulder, her jet black hair blowing carelessly behind her as she led what appeared to be a rally.

As they neared the tree, Aurora saw that pamphlets littered the area. A few of the students gathered around the minute witch were listening with interest, the pamphlets clutched in their hands. The vast majority of the onlookers, she noticed, had mocking sneers on their faces.

Aurora picked up a leaflet and read:

S.P.A.M.

**_Down with Witches! Down with Wizards!_ **

Aurora looked up in shock from the first line. "Down with witches? Down with wizards? What's this all about?" The others shrugged as she continued to read:

_Tired of being stereotyped because of your sex? Salvation is here, in the form of SPAM - a movement to ban the sexist terms we use to typecast our peers. No longer will there be any distinct separation between witches and wizards! Adopt the unisex term of Magi, for the greater good of all non-Muggles! Join SPAM today!_

”Do you think anyone believes this stuff?” Jamie asked as they joined the group surrounding the little witch.

"Fellow Magi, help me in the fight to eradicate these sexist terms! A woman should be able to gain equal status with a man in our world, and yet, our dreams are continually squashed!" The witch on the rock began spouting instances where wizards had flourished and witches had failed under the same circumstances. Aurora began to tune her out, but not before she giggled behind her hand with the others.

"What's so funny now?" The girls turned to see Harry and Ron approaching the group. Harry looked as though someone had cancelled Christmas, but simply muttered something about Snape when they voiced their concerns.

"Read this," Erin said, handing Harry the leaflet.

"HARRY POTTER!" Harry jumped as the protestor called to him. "Surely _you_ believe in equality?" He looked extremely uncomfortable, and shrugged noncommittally.

"I don't know," he started. "What exactly is SPAM?" The demonstrator witch looked at the nearly dispersed mob, then got down off her rock and made her way over to them.

"The Society for Political Acceptance of Magi,” she explained. “Deidre Jones, founder and President." She extended her hand, and Harry shook it tentatively as the others began to introduce themselves.

"Well, what do you lot say? Are you in?" she asked as soon as the introductions had been completed.

"I don't know," Aurora began. "What's so wrong with being a witch?" Deidre's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh, come on! You have to be joking! Witches have always had a bad rap with Muggles. Just look at the witch trials, they weren't called 'wizard' trials, now were they? Of course not! When Muggles think of witches, they immediately picture an ugly git with green skin and warts on her face. How could any self-respecting woman in our world _not_ be offended?"

"Why does it matter what Muggles think?” Kim asked. “How many times have you walked up to one and introduced yourself as a witch?"

" _Magi_ , and it's the principle of the matter!" They looked at one another in interest, then Erin shrugged.

"Why not? It'll make Nicole hit the roof." Deidre became ecstatic, jumping up and down.

"Really? You'll join? That's fantastic! Here-" She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a bracelet with the initials S.P.A.M. on it. "That makes, let's see...three members so far! How about the rest of you?"

Aurora hesitated only long enough to picture her father’s face when he saw her during a demonstration before she found herself saying, “Count me in.”


	9. More Questions

Aurora was watching the corpse of the woman once again. She knew what was coming, knew the macabre show that was imminent, but she could do nothing. From the distance she saw the jet of green light, gathering speed as it raced towards the floating corpse. It veered just before hitting the woman and instead hit Aurora in the chest, sending waves of agony through her body.

She sat up in bed, trembling with fear. She’d continued having the same nightmare over the past few weeks, but this was the first time anything had changed. The light had never sought _her_ before.

_Probably because of the letters_ , she chastised herself, her fear diminishing. She’d received answers to her letters from both her uncle and godfather that morning, long after she should have heard from them. It was almost as though they had to organize an answer between themselves before replying to the letters she’d sent them after Erin’s palm reading.

Steven’s had come first, and she re-read it in hopes that its contents had changed. They had not. He wrote: 

_Ra,_

_I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying your time at Hogwarts. I have been offered a tour in America, and I'm almost certain I'm going to accept. It will mean being gone quite a long time, but I'll let you know for sure once I decide. Don't worry too much about your father's behavior - he has a bizarre sense of reasoning sometimes._

_As to your last question - there is nothing that I can tell you, other than to ask your father. You should hear it from him, not from me. Let me know how it goes._

_Love,_

_Uncle Steven_

Malichi’s letter had been even shorter, citing only that he wished her well and that she should address any concerns to her father.

Ask her father? Were they insane? True, he hadn’t been openly hostile when their paths crossed, and no further mysterious accidents had befallen her potion ingredients when he swept by her desk during class, but she felt it was stretching it a bit to imagine he’d suddenly begin answering questions.

As sleep had been banished by her nightmare, she sat on the windowsill by her bed, her knees drawn up to her chin, staring at the stars. Her mind went over the past few weeks, and she realized with a start that it was already October. As her eyelids began to droop, she thought to herself that if she could just get a good night’s sleep, things would be going fairly well at Hogwarts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yawning and stretching, Aurora opened her eyes the next morning to find that she was still on the windowsill, and worse, the dorm was empty. Looking at her watch, she saw that she was running _very_ late. As she quickly pulled on a fresh set of robes, she grabbed her bag, trying to think what class she had that morning. She groaned as she realized it was Thursday, which meant she had already missed half of Potions.

Stuffing her book inside her bag, she ran down the numerous sets of stairs to the dungeons, gasping for breath as she burst through the classroom door. Every head turned to stare at her, but she realized with relief that her father was nowhere to be seen. Not believing her good luck, she hurried over to her seat, aware that everyone was still looking at her.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up?" she hissed as she set out her supplies.

"We tried," Kim protested. "You kept growling at us, and wouldn't open your eyes, so we left you in the window. Jamie was afraid you were going to fall out."

"I suggested that the only way to wake you up would be to push you out, then to levitate you back up before you splattered, but they said no." Erin grinned at her as she stirred her cauldron.

"Thanks a lot," Aurora replied, a thin smile on her face. "Well, I guess it's okay since Snape didn't see me come in. Maybe he'll forget I wasn't here to start,” she said without really believing it. “Where is he, anyway?"

"He's right behind you, Miss Rinkle."

Aurora turned slowly to see her father, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at her expectantly. "How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence. I trust there is a _very_ good reason for your tardiness?"

"Um, I - I overslept, Professor," she stammered.

"I see," he said coldly.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"I certainly hope not. As it is, you've lost ten points for your house, and gained a detention for yourself." He held out his hand expectantly, and Aurora threw her head back with frustration.

"The assignment! I finished it, I swear! It's just up in my dorm - I can go get it for you, sir."

"You've already missed most of this class, Miss Rinkle. You may hand in the assignment for half credit when you serve your detention tonight." She bit her tongue, not wanting to say anything that would get her into more trouble, and as he began walking among the students again, she turned to her friends.

"Quick, what are we doing today?"

"Antidotes. We're supposed to prepare the first two from chapter four," Kim explained as Aurora opened her book to the correct page. As she waited for her cauldron to begin boiling, she began preparing her ingredients, and was soon caught up in brewing the first complex antidote. The bell rang before she was quite finished with the first potion, and she was vaguely aware of her father giving the assignment and dismissing the class.

"I want to finish this," she told her friends as they waited on her. "At least get half credit for the work. I'll meet you in the common room later, okay?" They nodded and hurried out of the classroom, glancing at their professor as he made his way over to Aurora’s desk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Class has been dismissed," he pointed out.

"I know, but it will only take me a minute to be done. Can't I please just finish this?" Her eyes pleaded with him, and he felt himself relenting.

“As I have no class this period, I believe I can allow that.”

She stared up at him, a startled look on her face. Clearly, she’d fully expected him to refuse.

"Your beetles are scorching," he commented dryly.

She turned quickly back to her potion, correcting her mistake and continuing on. Severus stood next to her, intrigued again by how adept she had proved herself at potion making. He’d been kept up-to-date with her marks – all consistent with the house she was placed in - but it was clear that she was obviously gifted with Potions. Having grudgingly come to terms with the fact the she would undoubtedly have _some_ things in common with him, he found himself constantly drawn to her desk during class. She worked with a confidence he seldom saw even in his advanced students, and which he had never before seen – or perhaps hadn’t noticed - in her.

As she poured her potion into a phial, he broached a subject that had been weighing on his mind.

“I received a letter from Malichi at the beginning of the week.” Aurora looked up at him again, nearly dropping the phial in her hand. Severus frowned as he continued. “He seems to feel that something is bothering you.” She seemed to be struggling with herself as she began to clear her workspace, but finally looked up at him, her eyes shining with curiosity – and fear.

“Erin’s a Seer,” she began timidly.

Severus did not bother trying to conceal the smirk that sprang to his lips.

”Indeed. And I suppose _she_ told you this?” he asked. He’d known many first years who tried to garner attention in the same fashion.

"Not really."

He listened as she told him about meeting Erin on the train, and how she seemed to know everything. Severus grew more and more agitated, particularly when she told him what the girl had said when reading her palm. He realized what she was about to ask him, and cursed Malichi for not preparing him for it.

"She knows that I'm your father?" he asked in an effort to prolong the inevitable.

"I didn't tell her," Aurora said quickly.

” _If_ she is a true Seer, you wouldn’t have had to,” he said dismissively. _Odd, though_ , he thought to himself. _Not many realize their gift at such a young age_.

“Father- is Erin right? Did I – did I almost _die_ as a baby?” There it was, then. Severus stared down at her, noticing how innocent she seemed. How could he possibly tell her that she had almost been murdered when she was barely a year old, all because of him? "Father?" she pressed.

"It's true," he said shortly.

"But – how? Why? And why didn't anybody tell me before?" He didn't want to do this, not here, not when a student could so easily walk in on them. Suddenly he felt angry. Why did she have to ask so many questions? Why did she feel the need to know everything?

"I have my reasons," he snapped. "I suggest you finish cleaning up. I'll expect to see you back here after dinner for your detention." He walked into his office and slammed the door. Malichi had been right, the meddlesome old fool. She was going to have to know everything sooner or later. "Preferably later," he grumbled as he sat at his desk and began viciously grading assignments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fat lot of good _that_ did,” she muttered as she put up her supplies. “I still don't know any more about it than I did before I asked.” _But now I know that it’s true,_ she thought with a glance towards the door to her father’s office. She picked up her bag and went to the common room where her friends were waiting anxiously.

“Did he let you finish it?” Jamie asked. When she nodded, Jamie relaxed.

“What do you have to do for detention?” asked Kim as Aurora sat next to her.

“I don't know. Probably scrape desks again.”

“Deidre's just told me that we've got a S.P.A.M. meeting in about fifteen minutes, underneath that beech tree by the lake. Let's go, okay?” Erin was looking at Aurora with concern.

“Okay. At least it'll take my mind off detention tonight.” The three of them made their way down to the grounds, meeting Harry and Ron by the doors.

“Hey guys,” Erin greeted them, taking Ron's proffered hand. The two of them had become inseparable over the past month, giving their friends countless opportunities to harass them. Harry grinned at Aurora as they walked out on the grounds. They arrived at the prearranged meeting place to find Deidre waiting impatiently with the few other members.

“It's about time, you guys! Now, I hereby call this meeting of S.P.A.M. to order. Doris, will you read the minutes from the last meeting?” Doris Grindy, a fourth-year Hufflepuff, stood up.

“The fourteenth meeting of the Society for Political Acceptance of Magi was held behind greenhouse three, at six-thirty p.m. on September the twenty-ninth. All members present, with the exception of Mr. Harry Potter.” Deidre glared at him.

“I had quidditch practice! I can't go blowing that off!”

“You need to take this organization more seriously, Harry! How are we ever going to achieve anything if we don't focus? Go on, Doris.”

“The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Doris Grindy. After much debate, it was decided that a petition would be handed out at the next meeting. Said petition would be responsible for adopting the term Magi at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The move to end the meeting was made by Erin Cafferty, and seconded by Aurora Rinkle.”

“Thank you, Doris.”

“I move to end the meeting!” Erin piped up.

“I sec-”

“NO!” Deidre's shout cut off Aurora's sentence. “From now on - make a note of this, Doris - only _I_ am allowed to move to end the meeting. We are not getting as much accomplished as we should!” Aurora and her friends grinned at each other, then settled comfortably in the grass.

“Now, as agreed at the last meeting, I've drawn up the petition. You all need to help out by getting your housemates to sign it, and then I will present it to Professor Dumbledore. Our goal is to get at least five hundred signatures.”

“Five hundred?” Jamie whispered to Kim. “We'll be lucky to get fifty!” Deidre didn't hear her, and the six friends did their best to stifle their giggles.

“What do you think, Erin? Twenty-five? Thirty at the most?” Erin looked thoughtful as she gazed at Deidre.

“I hope I'm wrong, because I _definitely_ don't want to do what she's planning next, but she won't get more than those who are already here to sign it.”

“I know _I'm_ definitely not going to put much effort into it,” Jamie whispered. “Can you just see me trying to get Draco and his friends to sign that rubbish? Sometimes I wonder why we even bother to show up.”

“We show up because Deidre's our friend,” Kim pointed out. Deidre had been so excited when they joined, and for a few meetings, it had just been them and Doris. They'd learned to like the feisty little witch - er, _magi_ \- even if they didn't quite agree with her ideas.

“Okay,” Deidre said, as she stood and handed out copies of the petitions on clipboards. “I want everyone to take their clipboard back to their common rooms, and get as many signatures as possible. We'll meet again tomorrow before dinner to see how far we've gotten. Right then, I declare this meeting officially over! See you all by the Whomping Willow tomorrow afternoon at three-thirty sharp!” The group began to dissemble, and Deidre watched them go, pride shining in her eyes. “Did you ever think we'd have this many followers?” she asked the six of them. The friends looked at each other in confusion.

“Deidre, hon, we've only got fifteen members, tops,” Kim pointed out.

“Yes, but most of them,” she glanced at Harry as she spoke, “Continue to show up for every meeting. That's loyalty.”

“Um, okay Deidre. We've got to get going to the library, though. Have to work on an assignment Snape gave us,” Kim explained as they all picked themselves up off the ground.

“Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow, and remember, get those signatures!” She beamed at them as she marched off towards the castle, stopping everyone she met and showing them the petition. The first years were sure to give her a wide berth as they made a beeline for the library.


	10. A Very Eventful Evening

Aurora and her friends made their way to the library after the S.P.A.M. meeting, eager to have an excuse not to start on the petition. They made their way over to a table in the corner, as far from Madam Pince’s range of hearing as they could get. Before they had sat down, Jamie gave a soft squeal of excitement and promptly headed for the opposite end of the library. Aurora followed her progress to see that she was being welcomed by a table of Slytherins. 

"Maybe we should start calling her the Slytherin Queen," Kim said disgustedly. Aurora had to smile as she noticed the group was staring at Jamie as if she _was_ a queen. "I don't know what's so special about them. And why do they worship her? I mean, she's a nice person and everything, but give me a break!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Kim." Aurora said, turning back to the friends at her own table. They all looked at Erin expectantly.

"Don't look at me! Maybe they like her because she doesn't look down on them," she said pointedly as she stared at Kim.

"All I know is that I wouldn't trust a Slytherin farther than I could throw them," Kim replied grumpily.

"I agree!" Ron stated emphatically. Erin turned to him in surprise.

"Ronnie!"

“What?” he asked huffily. “Every dark wizard _ever_ has come out of Slytherin. I’ve heard the whole lot of them followed You-Know-Who when he was in power. Just look at Malfoy if you want proof! We _all_ hate him!”

"Jamie doesn't," Kim said quietly, staring after her friend. The silence that followed was awkward, and Aurora took it upon herself to lighten the mood.

"Hey guys, I want to show you something." She pulled out the deck of cards Steven had given her before term and set them on the table.

"A deck of cards?“ Ron scoffed.

"It's a _Muggle_ set of cards,” Aurora corrected him. “Steven gave them to me. Want to see a magic trick?"

"Aurora, we _all_ do magic.” Ron was snickering again, but stopped when Erin shot him a dirty look.

"That's the point,” Aurora explained shortly. “It doesn't use magic at all, but Muggles think it does. Now watch." She shuffled the cards a few times, even letting Harry cut the deck twice. Then she dealt out several cards, face down on the table. "Okay. Kim, look at those cards, then pick one in your mind. Don't show it to anyone, but remember your card." Kim did as she was told, then nodded as she memorized her card. "Good. Now, put the pile you just looked at back in my deck, and I'll ask you what card you picked." She waited while Kim put the cards in the deck. "What was your card?"

"Seven of Clubs," she answered. They watched as Aurora began dealing out the cards, spelling out seven of clubs. When she flipped the last card over, sure enough, it was Kim's card.

"Cool!" Ron said. "My dad would love to see that. And you didn't use magic at all?"

"Nope, it's all very simple."

"How'd you do it?" Kim asked, her eyes wide.

"As Steven always tells me, a good magician never reveals her secrets!"

"That's simple!" The friends looked up to see Draco standing at the front of a group of students who'd wandered over, Vincent, Gregory, and Basil right behind him.

"True, but only if you know how," Aurora told him.

"Can't be that hard," he sneered.

"Go on then," she said, handing over the deck. "Let's see you do it." He looked down at the cards in his hand, then back at Aurora.

"Petty Muggle tricks don't impress me. I don't need to prove that by showing you up, Rinkle."

"Oh, come on, Doofus. I'd love to see you fail miserably." There were chuckles from many of the students as Draco’s face began to turn red. He threw the cards at her, sending them fluttering in all directions. Aurora smiled as she flicked her wand, causing them to stack themselves neatly in their box. Draco bullied his way through the crowd, calling his cronies as Basil hesitated briefly.

"Good trick," he muttered before he followed his friends. Aurora gaped at her friends.

"Did he say what I think he said?" Kim nodded, her eyes reflecting her own amazement. They had little time to discuss it as Madam Pince pushed her way through the crowd, standing at the end of the table with her hands on her hips.

"What's going on over here? This is a library, Miss Rinkle, not a stage. I suggest you move this exhibition outside of the castle if you want to show off."

"Sorry, Madam Pince. I'll put them away." Harry grinned at her as Madam Pince shooed what remained of the quickly dispersing crowd of students back to their own tables.

"That was a neat trick, Aurora. Do you know any more?"

"Tons! Steven is a Muggle stage magician, remember? He even told me in his last letter that he might be going on tour in America soon." After another glare from Madam Pince, she shoved the cards in her bag and pulled out her Potions book. "I think we'd better do our homework before she throws us out," she whispered. Harry nodded and pulled out his own Potions book.

"I've got to finish last week's assignment. With S.P.A.M. and quidditch practice, I haven’t had a chance to do it – and I know Snape will try to expel me if I don't get it done."

"Nah, he'll probably just have you disembowel some toads," Kim offered from across the table. They began giggling uncontrollably, drawing the librarian to their table again.

"That's it. You lot need to leave now. Some people are trying to study!" Still laughing, the five of them picked up their books and left.

"We could go down to the Great Hall," Harry offered.

"Or we could sit outside while it's still warm enough," countered Kim.

"It doesn't matter to me; let's just decide sometime this century!"

"You're so over-dramatic, Ronnie," Erin chided as they walked down the stairs.

"The Great Hall it is, then!" Aurora announced, leading the way. Dinnertime was still an hour away, so they settled themselves in front of a window at the Ravenclaw table. There was soon no noise except the scratching of quills, and as Aurora finished her assignment, her eyes fell on her open palm, and she thought again of Erin’s predictions. With the confirmation from her father that morning about events that had already happened, she was now obliged to take the rest of her friend’s observations seriously.

Aurora thought of the note she’d received – would the person who sent it really come after her? She’d been so busy trying to determine who the people in the photograph were that she hadn’t really been bothered by the message that had accompanied it.

 _I’m not going to die,_ she scolded herself. But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t squash the knot of fear that had settled into her stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus glanced up from the papers he was grading as Aurora wandered into the classroom after dinner. His quill paused, poised to mark through an entire paragraph of a Gryffindor essay, as he evaluated her expression. Her eyes were haunted, as though she’d just come across a bit of worrisome news.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked as she reached his desk, handing her wand over without preamble. She nodded briefly.

"Am I going to scrape desks again?" Her voice held no trace of sarcasm, and every alarm in his mind sounded.

"No, you’ll be writing a punishment paper on tardiness tonight," he replied, scrutinizing her face. "You’re quite sure you aren’t ill?"

"I'm fine," she repeated, setting her bag on the desk and withdrawing a roll of parchment. “Here’s the late assignment. How long do you want tonight’s paper?”

“Three feet should be sufficient," he said, not convinced that all was well. His eyes followed her as she sat at the desk before him, pulling out her supplies. She steadfastly ignored his piercing gaze as she began to write, yet he continued to stare at her, noticing for the first time how her hair reflected the candlelight, just as Marie's had.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he noticed Aurora standing next to his desk, confusion plain on her face.

"Father?" she asked tentatively. “Are you all right?”

"What? Of course, why?" He snatched his quill from the inkpot and made as though he was grading the papers before him.

"It's just that I've been standing here for about five minutes, but you didn't seem to see me," she replied, her brow furrowed.

”Have you finished already?” he asked, his eyes trained on the paper.

"No. My quill broke, and I don't seem to have an extra one."

“You may borrow one from the top drawer of the desk in my office,” he said shortly. He saw her proceed through the door out of the corner of his eye, and began to grade the papers in earnest.

After a few moments, he raised his eyes to her empty chair, and frowned. _What is keeping her?_ He stood and strode to his office door, the scathing comment he had been about to utter dying on his lips as he saw that she was standing at his desk, staring at a photograph in her hand.

In an instant, he was standing next to her, tearing the photograph from her and slipping it into the pocket of his robes. He yanked open the top drawer of the desk and withdrew a quill from a box in the corner. "I believe _this_ is what you were searching for?" he hissed. She took it tentatively from his hands, and he erupted.

”How _dare_ you snoop through my desk!” he growled. Aurora cringed, but then looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Is -is that really her?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Severus’ jaw clenched of its own accord as he asked the question to which he already knew the answer: “Who?”

"The woman in the photograph. It's her, isn't it? My mother.” He didn’t need to look at it to verify. It was the only photograph he had of Marie. Taken long before everything had fallen apart. For a split second, he thought about denying Marie’s identity, about keeping her in the dark a little while longer, but found himself nodding tersely.

“Yes.” His voice was crisp, his tone short, as his hand found the photo again, as though reassuring himself that it had not been lost.

“Please,” Aurora pleaded, her eyes fixed on his pocket. “Can’t I just – look at it once more?” Again, Severus felt the urge to deny her request, and again, on its own accord, his hand brought the picture from the safety of his robes. His daughter took it gingerly, silent tears streaming down her face as she gazed at it.

"She's so beautiful," she said, tracing the outline of her mother with her finger. She tore her gaze away from the figures on the paper to stare up at him, her eyes reflecting her astonishment. "You’re both so young. And you’re _smiling_."

”Even I have lapses in character,” he shot back, now regretting allowing her to study it. “And I was also a teenager once.” He held his hand out expectantly, but she made no move to return it. She was studying it as before, but now her brow was furrowed in concentration. Suddenly, she gasped, her grip allowing the photo to fall towards the floor.

Irritated, Severus plucked it from the air and again pocketed it, and then turned his attention to his daughter, a reprimand on the tip of his tongue. It was forgotten as he saw her face – it had gone white, as though she’d seen a ghost. Her slight body began to shake violently, and he grabbed her shoulder to keep her from toppling over.

“What is it?” he asked quickly, scrutinizing her face.

“N-nothing,” she stammered. “I think – I’ve got to finish that assignment,” she muttered. He relaxed his grip, his eyes narrowed as she went back into the classroom. Something was most definitely wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora walked back to the desk, still a little shaken. She tried to focus on finishing her paper, but her mind kept wandering back to the photograph. Her mother - she had actually _seen_ her mother. And her father’s smile had not been forced – he had actually _looked_ as though he was enjoying himself.

If her father had not allowed her a second look, she doubted she would have noticed. But she _did_ get another chance to study the image, and she _did_ notice – it wasn’t the first time she’d seen her mother at all. She’d been dreaming about her for over a month – her mother was the corpse from the clipped photo, she was sure of it.

She struggled to finish her punishment paper, finally scribbling an ending that brought it to just three feet, and then took it up to her father’s desk. She was anxious to get back to her dorm to check the photo hidden in her trunk, but her father didn’t seem as eager for her to go.

“What are you keeping from me?” he asked quietly, setting her paper to the side without a second glance.

“Nothing,” she protested, studiously avoiding meeting his gaze. She’d found that he was somehow less inclined to guess what she was hiding if she kept them averted. His eyes felt as though they would burn a hole through her forehead before he finally dismissed her, his irritation thinly masked.

Aurora hurried back to the common room, but was accosted by Kim and Erin before she could reach the dorm.

"Did you hear?" Erin asked.

"What?" Aurora asked, suddenly confused.

"Jamie got caught kissing Malfoy!" Kim proclaimed, her eyes dancing with glee.

"By who?”

"Professor Sinistra! They got ten points off a piece, and a detention to boot!" Erin told her, laughing.

"Where were they?" Aurora asked, unable to suppress a grin.

”The Astronomy tower,” Kim revealed. “Professor Sinistra was going up to prepare for tonight’s class. Couldn’t you just _die_?”

"It isn’t funny," Jamie grumbled as she entered the common room. "I've just got back from Flitwick's office, and he was _not_ happy. Told me I was too young to have those sorts of feelings for anyone yet. He seemed even more upset that it was Draco I was kissing." She sank into a chair by the fire. "My parents are going to kill me when they find out!" she moaned.

"Is he writing to your parents, then?" Kim asked, struggling to keep a straight face.

"He said he was, so I guess that means he will," Jamie answered grumpily.

"What were you doing kissing Doofus in the first place?" Aurora asked.

"Don't call him that! He's a nice guy, he really is!"

“Maybe to _you_ ,” Aurora relented skeptically. But she still didn’t understand why Jamie seemed blinded to Draco’s true personality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora wanted to wait until she was sure her dorm mates were asleep before looking at the newspaper photo again, but she had nearly dozed off herself by the time they had finished teasing Jamie about Professor Sinistra’s behavior towards her and Draco during that evening’s Astronomy class. When the giggles had at last died down, she crept from her bed and slipped the clipping from beneath a stack of her robes.

It was difficult to be positive – the woman on the floor was lying on her back, but long locks of hair hid her face from view – but when Aurora looked at her, a lump rose in her throat.

 _It makes sense,_ she reasoned, replacing the photo in her trunk. It _had_ been in her sitting room at Spinner’s End, and her father had been present – the corpse had to be her mother. She shook her head as she climbed beneath her covers, chiding herself for not having figured it out sooner.

Sleep came fairly quickly, but as Aurora closed her eyes, she found that she was standing in the sitting room. Her mother was directly beside her, murmuring to a squirming toddler on her lap. Aurora found her hand reaching out of its own accord, and was disappointed – but not really surprised - to find that it passed right through her mother’s arm.

For a moment, Aurora was able to bask in the peace that seemed to emanate from the petite woman in the rocking chair by the fire. She was murmuring a lullaby as she rocked, her gentle hazel eyes gazing into the fire.

Suddenly the rocking and murmuring ceased, and her mother’s back stiffened as her eyes flew towards the front door. Her arms tightened around the baby as she rose from the chair, her eyes frantically searching the room until they came to rest on a bookcase Aurora knew hid the entrance to a secret stairwell.

”Hush, angel,” she whispered as the child began to fuss. She set her down gently on the stair, muttering a spell to keep her still and quiet.

" _Lumos!_ " A meager ball of light appeared in the closet, illuminating the interior as her mother kissed the top of her head, a tear rolling down her check. “Mummy loves you very much, Aurora,” she said, caressing the baby’s cheek before quickly shutting the door. Aurora suddenly found herself in the closet with her younger self, unable to get out. She heard a crash from the other room, and the baby began to cry in earnest.

Aurora heard her mother scream, "Severus!" right before she saw the now-familiar green light through the cracks around the door. The baby was still screaming, but the other room remained ominously quiet. Aurora began sobbing, vaguely realizing that she was awake, and back in her own bed at Hogwarts. Is that how it had happened? Had her mother been murdered?


	11. Unwanted Attention

Aurora sat silently at breakfast the next morning, not really interested in the food on her plate. She began pushing it around listlessly, not paying attention to the conversation her friends were having. Her thoughts were on her dream, wondering if it could possibly be accurate. Suddenly the mail arrived, and a bright red envelope fell in front of Jamie. The table grew quiet as she stared at it in shock.

"Didn't take them long, did it?" she asked, standing to take it into the hall. Before she had a chance to move, the seal broke itself open, and voices began to scream at her. Aurora assumed that they were her parents, as they began berating her for her lack of judgment, being caught with a boy, and worse, kissing Draco.

"NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH SLYTHERINS," her mother's voice shouted, "BUT LUCIUS MALFOY'S SON? WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" Aurora was pleased to see that Draco had gone completely red, and was doing his best to hide behind his friends. Basil, on the other hand, was grinning along with the other Slytherins. She noticed him looking towards the Ravenclaw table, but unlike the rest of the hall, his eyes were not on Jamie, but on Aurora.

"Oh, great!" she muttered, jabbing Erin in the ribs. Her friend saw who she was pointing at, then snickered.

"Well, it seems you've won Rosier's heart, Aurora. Won't your father be happy?" She ducked as Aurora swung at her, then smiled as Aurora stuck her tongue out. Jamie's howler was still going strong, although it seemed her father had taken over the lecture.

"YOU'RE ONLY ELEVEN, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE! IF THIS IS HOW YOU ACT NOW, HEAVEN HELP US WHEN YOUR LIBIDO REALLY GETS GOING!" The hall roared with laughter as Professor McGonagall stood, evidently deciding enough was enough. With a flick of her wand, the howler fell silent, although it looked like it had plenty of life left. Jamie's face had never been redder, and she quickly excused herself to get her Transfiguration book from the dorm. The silent howler followed her out of the hall, much to the amusement of the other students.

Aurora turned back to her plate, having decided that she was in fact hungry, but what she saw made her turn pale. Her food had arranged itself into an hourglass, the top filled with syrup. As she watched, the syrup began trickling down, filling the bottom of the glass, making the hair on her arms stand on end. She looked around quickly, but her friends were still too focused on Jamie's howler to have noticed anything. When she looked back, the hourglass was gone, leaving only bacon and syrup in its place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With everything that had happened, the four Ravenclaws had completely forgotten about their S.P.A.M. petition until they ran into Doris Grindy in the hall on their way to Herbology.

"Hey, you four, how're your signatures coming?"

"Um, not all that well, actually Doris. Can't say I've even got one signature on mine yet," Aurora answered, conveniently forgetting to mention that she hadn’t approached a single person.

"What? I've got my pages full already! I'm on my way to get more from Deidre now! You'd better get moving if you want to meet our goal!" She stalked off, hands on her hips, as the friends stared after her.

"How could her pages possibly be full already?" asked Kim.

"Maybe she forged a bunch of names so that Deidre will make her vice president or something," Jamie offered, taking a swing at the howler that was still trailing her.

"When do you think it'll stop?" Aurora asked as they walked through the doors.

"Knowing _my_ parents, this thing will keep going until Christmas," grumbled Jamie as she struggled to get the letter into her bag before Herbology started. "Did you see the way Quirrell was looking at me all through class? I appreciate McGonagall shutting it up and all, but couldn't she have just blown it up while she was at it?"

"I expect she wanted you to be properly ashamed," Erin replied, ducking as the howler burst from Jamie's grasp to float above her head.

"The only thing I'm embarrassed about right now is my parents," Jamie snapped as they proceeded into the greenhouse.

"I can't believe it! You're not actually saying you _liked_ kissing Malfoy, are you?" Kim stared at her in horror as a smile played on Jamie's lips.

"Well…"

"If you have to stop to think about it, that means you enjoyed it!" Aurora exclaimed. Jamie didn't respond, but turned to Professor Sprout, pretending to be intrigued by what she was saying.

"At least Malfoy talks every so often," Erin pointed out. "His good friend Basil, on the other hand-"

"Shut up, Erin!" Kim and Jamie looked at Aurora in surprise. She was spared from explaining as Professor Sprout told them off for talking, but she had the feeling that her friends would not let it drop.

How right she was. As soon as Herbology had ended, they bombarded her with accusations.

"Aurora, you don't like _Rosier_ , not seriously?" Kim was staring at her in shock as they began walking towards their usual spot under the beech tree.

"OOh, I'm so excited! At least one of you has some good taste!" Jamie was so happy that Aurora almost hated to burst her bubble.

"Sorry, Jamie. I'm afraid I have no interest whatsoever in Mr. Basil Rosier." She punched Erin's arm. "And I'll thank you not to say that I do." Erin grinned mischievously at her.

"I don't know, might be tricky..."

"Erin! You have to swear you're not going to start any rumors!"

"Looks like the rumors are going to start on their own," Jamie said, pointing to their tree. Draco, looking extremely annoyed, was standing there with none other than Crabbe, Goyle, and Basil. Crabbe and Goyle looked confused, and Basil looked slightly nervous as he tried to get his friends to leave him by himself.

"I'm not going anywhere," she heard Draco say. "What do you want to be alone with that lot for? There's only one of them good for anything." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Just what is it you want from them?"

"Draco, it's nothing to do with Jamie, I swear!" He stopped talking as the girls reached them, three pairs of eyes staring at them with unconcealed loathing. "Oh, hi!" stammered Basil. Vincent and Gregory still looked lost as Basil gave Draco one last pleading look. Draco crossed his arms and stubbornly refused to move.

"If you don't mind, Doofus, this is where we normally study. We'd rather not have it contaminated by the likes of you." Aurora's voice was icy as her eyes remained on Draco.

"This wasn't my idea, runt. Rosier was almost wetting himself to get over here, weren't you, _Basil_?" Draco sneered as he looked up at his friend. Basil’s eyes flicked nervously between Draco and Aurora as he tried to come up with some sort of excuse for being there. Realization dawned in Draco's eyes.

"Say it isn't so, Rosier! You don't actually _like_ that bit of filth, do you?" His contemptuous laugh made Aurora's fists clench at her sides, a reflex not lost on Kim and Erin, who moved closer to her. Basil looked hurt as he forced a laugh.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Draco."

"How can you call yourself a proper Slytherin, Rosier? You don't even lie very well!"

"Lying is a virtue now, is it?" Kim shot at him. "I suppose you're an expert at it, then?"

"When I need to be, Travis. All _true_ Slytherins are." He shot one last glare at Aurora before striding off towards the castle, Crabbe and Goyle close at his heels. Basil looked at Aurora apologetically before following his friends.

"What was that all about?" Aurora spun around to see Harry standing behind her, a quizzical look on his face.

"Do you realize that you're _constantly_ sneaking up on me?"

"Sorry," he grinned. "Telling Malfoy off again?"

"Excuse me," Jamie said coldly as she ran after the four Slytherins. Her friends watched her go, the howler still behind her.

"Rosier's got a crush on Aurora," Erin explained.

"He does not,” Aurora said quickly, shooting a glare at Erin. "Malfoy was just being an enormous jerk."

"Imagine that," scoffed Ron.

"You know," mused Kim. "I wonder if he'll ever decide to surprise us all with a warm and fuzzy moment." Harry finally smiled.

"No way! Besides, it's not manly to be warm and fuzzy."

"That explains some things about you, then," Aurora teased. Harry, feigning embarrassment, hung his head in shame. He held up his hand slowly before he began to speak.

"Hello, my name is Harry, and I'm constantly warm and fuzzy," They all laughed as they sat in a circle on the ground. Aurora pulled out her S.P.A.M. petition, and suddenly remembered Jamie’s comment.

"Hey guys, let's invent some names, okay? You heard Doris before, hers are all filled. At least we can give Deidre some hope before Dumbledore turns her down. What do you say?" Seeing as how the meeting was supposed to start in an hour, they all agreed, rather than face the wrath of Deidre. By the end of the hour, they had all five of their clipboards about half-full.

"I'd say we've got about two hundred between us," Kim said. "That should keep her happy, at least for now. This way, she thinks she's got some people behind her, but it won't be enough to actually make a fool of herself in front of Dumbledore."

"We'd better go," announced Ron. "It's nearly three-thirty. We don't want to make her mad by showing up late." Everyone murmuring their agreement, they picked up their bags and headed towards the Whomping Willow. To their surprise, Deidre was not yet there. They set down their bags, making sure to stay far enough from the tree to prevent damage to themselves.

"Where is she?" Aurora asked ten minutes later, as other members started to straggle in. Finally, they spotted her tearing across the grounds, arriving quite out of breath.

"Whew! Sorry, guys. I had to run back to the dorm to get the members box. We've got a new member in our group!" As she finished speaking, they saw Jamie walking up, dragging a very reluctant Basil behind her.

"What's she doing?" Ron hissed in Aurora's ear. Aurora shrugged, but she thought she knew _exactly_ what Jamie had planned. By the look on Erin's face, and the way Kim's lips had gone into a thin line, she had a feeling that they were thinking the same thing.

The newcomers joined the group, and Deidre introduced Basil all around before conjuring up a crate to stand on. "Now that we've all met the new kid, I call the meeting to order. Since we just had our last meeting yesterday, let's not bother with the minutes. Let's see how those petitions have come along!"

Of all the group, only they, Doris, and Deidre had managed to get any signatures. "Well done!" Deidre exclaimed as she looked over their sheets. "Although I must say I'm very disappointed in the rest of you. I'd say between us we've gotten about three hundred to sign, though." She turned back to Aurora and her friends. "As you five have done so well with these, I'm putting you in charge of the next step."

Aurora heard Harry groan beside her. What had she gotten them into now? "It seems you did alright with the students, although Doris did far better, seeing as she managed a hundred on her own. I'm going to set Doris to continue gaining student signatures-" she glared at the rest of the group. "-as I hope the rest of you will begin doing, but for you five, I'd like you to go 'round to the teachers and try to get them to sign it." Aurora's jaw dropped.

"There's no bloody way I'm doing that!" Ron shouted, despite Erin's pleas for him to sit down. "We'll get detention!"

"You can't be given a detention for lobbying for rights, Ronald,” Deidre chided. “The more teachers on board with the idea, the better. Now, if that's everything, I call this meeting of S.P.A.M. over!" Jamie hurried over to them after the meeting, and Aurora noticed the howler was nowhere to be found.

"What happened to the howler?" she asked, desperate to keep the conversation off of her blunder.

"Oh, it finally exploded right around three. I expect they had to stop in order for them to get it to me today." She quickly changed the subject back to the petition. "How did you lot get those signatures? I was with you almost the entire time, and I never heard you ask anyone!" Aurora stared at the ground as she felt her ears go red.

"We made them up, Jamie." Nobody said anything, but her friends were all staring at her accusingly. "It's not like I thought we'd end up with this!"

"Let's just pretend that we asked them and they refused," Harry suggested. "They all will, anyway."

"We should at least ask some of them," Aurora said. "To make up for the fact that the rest are all forged." They stared at her stupidly. "It's not like it's going to hurt to ask them, guys!"

"It may when we ask Snape," Ron said darkly. "I'm all for Aurora doing this on her own. It was her brilliant bloody idea in the first place." The others nodded in agreement.

"I'll help you, Rinkle." They all looked in surprise at Basil, who was looking very uncomfortable, and rubbing his ribs as though someone standing next to him had jabbed them. Aurora glared at Jamie, who was grinning like an idiot. Making up her mind, Aurora smiled at him.

"Thank you, Basil. At least someone is willing to keep me company. Let's meet in the corridor outside the Great Hall after dinner, okay?"

"Um, great! See you then!" After he'd gone, Harry turned to Aurora.

”Doesn’t have a crush, huh?” he asked with a grin.

“Don’t be an idiot,” she snapped. “Couldn’t you see Jamie forced him to volunteer? Besides, since none of you wanted to help, I’ll take anyone I can get. At least I can have _him_ ask Snape. Less chance of me getting another detention.” She began walking towards the castle, leaving her giggling friends behind.

"Some things shouldn't be taken for granted, Aurora." Erin had caught up to her, a grin still present on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aurora demanded, not breaking her stride.

"Just that you'll be hard pressed to put Rosier off, that's all," Erin replied, her smile widening.

"I suppose you think it's all very funny, don't you? Why don't you just tell me what's going to happen so I can avoid it?"

"And ruin all the fun? Heck, no! This is all going to be _very_ entertaining." Aurora scowled as Erin went ahead, hand in hand with Ron.

“Hey-“ she turned to see Harry just behind her, gasping to catch his breath. “Look, I didn’t mean for you to get so angry,” he apologized. Aurora stopped walking as they reached the entrance to the Great Hall. “Forgive me?” he asked with a grin. Aurora shook her head and couldn’t help but smile back.

“You’re forgiven,” she said, leaning in and giving him a friendly hug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the staff table, Severus observed his daughter with narrowed eyes. _Of all the students in this blasted school, she had to befriend the Potter whelp_. He kept his eyes on Potter and the Weasley boy – who looked awfully chummy with Miss Cafferty – as they took seats at the Gryffindor table. Neither of them were doing anything to warrant further attention, and so he swept his gaze across the hall to the Ravenclaw table.

Aurora seemed to be engaged in a heated argument with Jamie Hobbs – he couldn’t make out what it was about, but she seemed agitated as she shook her head and glared at her friend before turning her eyes away from the group gathered around her.

Severus found himself following her gaze, back to the Gryffindor table – and Potter. The boy was glaring across the room as well, and just for good measure, Severus followed it. It seemed that the recipient of Potter's distaste was not Draco, as he had immediately thought, but Basil Rosier. Mr. Rosier, in turn, was oblivious to Potter's gaze as he himself was busy staring at Aurora.

_What’s this? Some sort of adolescent love triangle?_ Severus smirked as he thought how ludicrous that sounded, but stopped immediately as he remembered Miss Hobbs' howler from that morning. Every paternal instinct in his body seemed to kick in, and he suddenly viewed the hug between the two students as displaying something far more distasteful than friendship.

_There is no way in hell _she's_ getting caught in the Astronomy tower, especially not with _Potter_ , _he vowed. 


	12. Unlikely Friends

"You can all just go do whatever it is you've got planned," Aurora said moodily as she stood in the Entrance Hall, surrounded by her friends. "And stop grinning at me like that, Jamie. You could at least _pretend_ to be sorry."

"Sorry, Aurora. I just can't force myself to lie to you. I just hope everything works out," she added, ignoring the glare she was receiving from Aurora.

"What's this all about, then?" Draco asked suspiciously as the Slytherins joined the group.

"Oh, nothing, Draco. Just a little project Aurora and Basil are going to work on, _alone_." Jamie grabbed Draco's arm and motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to follow them as she led them out of the hall. Basil looked extremely uncomfortable as the remainder of the group eyed him suspiciously.

"Good luck, you two," Erin said, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Kim called over her shoulder as the two of them headed out the door to watch quidditch practice. Aurora did her best to ignore their snide comments as she thrust the clipboard into Basil's hands.

"Let's get this over with, come on."

Deciding it was better to get the worst done first, they headed down to the dungeons to find her father. "Since you're in his house and all," she began as they walked down the stairs. "I think it would be better if _you_ asked him to sign the petition."

Basil didn't say anything, and she turned around to make sure he was still there. He looked terrified at the prospect of asking his Head of House anything.

"Don't tell me you're afraid to do it?" The look on his face answered her question, and she threw up her hands in frustration. "Why the heck did you tag along if you're not going to help me?" She opened the door to her father’s classroom irritably.

"Nobody here, let's try the office." There was no response as she knocked on the door to his office, either. "Safe for now," she muttered. "Okay, no Snape in sight. Where to now?" Basil shrugged his shoulders, and she rubbed her temples in annoyance. This was going to be a long night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Severus, you're just being paranoid," Albus chastised, taking a seat beside him in the staff room. He had just relayed the totally inappropriate display he’d witnessed between his daughter and Harry.

”I _know_ what I saw,” he said with a scowl. “They embraced, Albus – in plain view of the entire Hall!”

”Severus, they’re _children_ ,” the headmaster pointed out.

"Children or not, I don’t want her getting too close to him."

"Aurora is not you," Albus interjected quietly. “Nor is Harry his mother. Your fears-“

”It has nothing to do with Lily,” Severus snapped impatiently, his heart twisting at the mere mention of her. “Potter is just like his father, and I do not wish to have my daughter subjected to that sort of arrogance.”

“These children are not ghosts, come to torment you,” Albus chided. “They are the children of some of the most remarkable people I have had the pleasure to know.” Severus glared at the headmaster, noting the accusatory tone in his voice.

_But they aren’t here now,_ he reasoned. _None of them – because of me._

“Severus?” He tore his gaze from the rim of his cup and glanced at the man beside him.

“If she hangs around Potter, she's going to get noticed by all the wrong people. People who are keeping close tabs on him for the Dark Lord."

"Surely you’re aware that she draws attention already?"

"Oh? How is that?"

"You’ll be hard pressed to convince anyone who knew Marie that the two are not related."

"That only proves my point – she should learn to blend in more."

"You’re certain that's why you're so upset? It's not because he's -"

"What, a Potter?" He laughed humorlessly. "No. You forget, he's also Lily’s son."

“Which would be easy to overlook if you happened to avoid those eyes,” he said, shrewdly pinpointing precisely what Severus had been attempting to do. He was saved from replying by a knock on the staff room door.

Severus nearly spit out the tea he was drinking when Albus opened the door to reveal Aurora and Basil standing in the corridor. Both of them looked as though they’d rather be anywhere else when they spotted him at the table.

”Good evening, children. What can I do for you?”

"Professors, we uh, we -" Basil was stammering, and Severus saw Aurora roll her eyes as she grabbed the clipboard he was holding. She cleared her throat, then began reading from the paper.

"We are here to represent the Society for Political Acceptance of Magi, or S.P.A.M., asking for you to show your support by signing this petition, which will eradicate the sexist terms of 'witch' and 'wizard' and replace them with the universal term of 'magi' at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Once finished, she put down the paper and looked at them expectantly.

"S.P.A.M., is it?" Albus asked, casting a bemused look towards Severus.

"Neither Professor Dumbledore nor I are the slightest bit interested in signing that ludicrous petition, Miss Rinkle,” he said, studiously avoiding Albus’ ‘I told you so’ stare.

"We'll just be going then," Basil said anxiously. He turned to go, but Aurora cocked her head slightly to the side and cast a confused glance at Severus.

"You're not going to go on a tirade, then?" All inclination to smirk faded, as she noticed the mood change and quickly shut the door before he had a chance to explode. As soon as they'd left, Albus began to chuckle.

"I'll wager twenty galleons that Deidre Jones is behind this," Albus said, taking his seat again. “Last year she was working to protect grindylows. I managed to placate her by obtaining a few of them as additions to the lake."

"And what will you do with _this_ petition?" Severus asked with a sneer. “’Magi’ indeed.”

"Did you notice,” Albus began, wearing that damned superior smile of his, “that it wasn't Harry who accompanied her?" Severus gritted his teeth. They’d come full circle – he already regretted telling the meddling headmaster his concerns.

”Yes,” he replied flatly.

"I don't hear you berating Mr. Rosier as extensively as you did Mr. Potter," he pointed out.

“Don’t,” he warned, but Albus paid him no mind.

”If you had your way, she wouldn’t hang around with anybody, would she? I must say it would certainly help to keep her from being noticed.”

"I don't object to any of her friends in Ravenclaw," he pointed out, his voice sounding a bit too defensive, even to him.

"Yes, but they're all _girls_ , aren't they?" Albus smiled again. "She's got to have friends, Severus. I would think you'd be glad that she's close to Harry. The history you have with both their mothers -"

"Neither of them ever knew their mothers,” Severus interrupted. “Are you suggesting that fate is at work here?"

"Possibly." He stood up as he finished the last of his tea. "In any case, she needs to know that people are there for her." He was about to leave when something else seemed to occur to him. His gaze pinned Severus to his seat, making his stomach churn with guilt.

"As I can assume she isn’t inclined to rely on you, Severus.” He bristled at the older man’s words, however true they might be, but he had left before Severus could form a suitable reply.

Severus’ mind went back to Aurora’s last detention – something had definitely been bothering her, something she felt she shouldn’t – or couldn’t – trust him with.

He slammed his cup onto the table in disgust. Of course she didn't trust him yet. He'd been less like a father and more like a warden for the past ten years. As he prepared to go back to his office, he made up his mind that he would not give up, he would keep trying until he proved to her and _himself_ that he was worthy of her trust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

”Brilliant!” Aurora scolded as they left the staff room. "What was the point of volunteering if all you’re going to do is stammer at them?" Basil looked thoroughly miserable, and she felt some of her anger ebb.

"I'm sorry," she said, sighing as she looked down at the petition. “That makes two 'not interested', three for 'don't be ridiculous', and three for 'get out before I set the dogs on you'. I think it's going rather well, don't you?" She looked back to Basil, slightly surprised to see him smiling. The act transformed his brooding face until he looked almost – Aurora couldn’t believe she was even _thinking_ it - _nice_.

"At least we tried. Can't do much more than that, can we?" Basil asked.

To her even greater surprise, Aurora found herself smiling back.

"Let's just forget asking the rest, okay? I really don't feel like being rejected anymore tonight."

"Me neither," he agreed. They began walking down the hall when he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a deserted classroom.

"What on earth are you doing, Rosier?" She muttered a spell to light the torches in the room, then turned to glare at him again.

"I wanted to ask you something, while we're alone."

_Oh great,_ she thought. _Here it comes._ She tried to head him off before he began.

"Look, Rosier, I'm sure you're a really nice guy -"

"Will you teach me those Muggle magic tricks?" They both spoke at the same time, and Aurora stopped as his words sank in.

"I'm sorry, what?" He shifted his feet nervously.

"Like the one you did in the library yesterday. You said they were simple. Could you teach them to me?" She regarded him suspiciously, wondering what to say. Should she trust him? He was one of Draco's goons, after all. That in and of itself didn't stand in his favor.

"Why do you want to learn?" she asked, deciding to tread carefully.

"I don't really do well in any of my classes," he explained sheepishly, his brown eyes flicking from her to the floor. "I was kind of hoping that this was one thing I could be good at. You said it was easy, so I figured even I might have a chance."

"Has anyone ever told you that you need to work on your self-confidence?"

"No," he frowned. "Does this mean you're not going to teach me?"

"Look, Basil - do you mind if I call you Basil?" He flashed a toothy smile at her.

"As long as I can call you Aurora."

"Fine, but back to this teaching thing. Why should _I_ help _you_? You're always around Malfoy, who I happen to detest - I've never seen you go out of your way to stop him from doing anything nasty to anybody. Why would I help someone like that?"

"The four of us – Draco, Vincent, Gregory, and I – our families are all very close. We were raised together; it’s expected that we stick together." He paused, his face puckered in concentration, as though what he was saying was painful. “I’ve lived with my grandfather since I was two – he would be very _angry_ if I began to hang around other people.” 

"Other people like me, for example?"

"Well, what he doesn't know can't hurt me." She looked at him skeptically.

"Okay,” she said after a moment. “I agree to teach you the tricks, but on one condition." His face lit up immediately.

"What is it?"

"You can't tell _anybody_. If it got back to my fat-“ she closed her eyes as she caught her blunder. “-my family, I'd be in for the lecture of a lifetime. They don’t know that Steven has taught me any of this – it’s not something they’d appreciate."

”I promise,” he said immediately.

"Do you think Malfoy will tell his father that you've started hanging around me? Mr. Malfoy might tell your grandfather, and then he _would_ find out that you have other friends."

"I hadn't thought of that." Basil looked crestfallen as he considered the possible consequences.

"You should stand up to Malfoy. Don't let him bully you around so much," Aurora pressed, knowing full well she was the last person who should be giving advice about not backing down.

"But he-he's my friend," he stammered.

"Really? What would he say if you told him you wanted to learn Muggle magic tricks?"

"He'd probably tell me I was being a stupid git and that purebloods had no use for that rubbish," he said resignedly.

"Some friend," she snorted. "Friends are people who will be there to support you, not ridicule you." He didn't respond, and she sighed as she pulled herself up to sit cross-legged on a desk. "Look, if you can give me one good reason not to hate Doofus, I might consider it."

"He knows stuff," Basil said quietly, sitting at the desk next to her.

"What kind of stuff?" she asked, a bit confused.

"Stuff about my family." Aurora thought she heard a note of shame in his voice, but he didn't seem too eager to elaborate.

"So he's basically blackmailing you into sticking up for him. Really nice of him." Basil continued to look down at his shoes. The thought crossed her mind that he was either very miserable, or else did a good job of acting like it. "I wouldn't worry about upsetting Malfoy too much. I'm sure you have just as much on his family as he does on yours, am I right?" The satisfied grin that spread across his face was enough to know she'd hit on something.

"I'll just let it slip that if something should get back to _my_ grandfather, I might accidentally say something I shouldn't to Dumbledore. That should shut him up. I don't even have to say anything about his father, I have enough on Draco to do the trick."

"I guess blackmail does have its uses, doesn't it?" Aurora replied with a laugh. She bid Basil goodnight, and headed back to her dorm room. She wasn’t quite sure how she’d let it happen, but she _was_ sure that she’d just made her first Slytherin friend. Jamie would be pleased.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So? How'd it go?" Jamie asked airily, pretending to take notes from her book as Aurora approached the group of girls that evening.

"No signatures. Not one," Aurora answered, tossing the petition onto Jamie’s notes.

"That's not what she meant," Erin said slyly, grinning at Aurora as she sat down.

"Yeah, what we want to know is - did you let him down gently?" Kim leaned forward in her chair, clearly hoping Aurora would tell them she'd sent Basil from the room bawling.

"Oh, you mean Basil?" she asked, feigning innocence.

" _Basil?_ You're on first-name terms now?" Jamie squealed with delight as Erin smiled smugly and Kim's jaw dropped to the ground.

"It's not what you think," Aurora chided. "He doesn't have a crush on me. He just wants to be friends."

"Sure he does. So he can get close to you and then double-cross you. Aurora, he's a _Slytherin_!" Kim sounded scandalized as she stared at Aurora in horror.

"So what?" Aurora snapped. "I didn't say he was the salt of the earth, did I? And you know something else? Most of my family has been in Slytherin, and I'm getting a little tired of hearing them constantly put down. You don't say anything bad about the other houses, do you?" Kim looked shocked as Aurora continued on her tirade. "Jamie's Mum was in Slytherin, too. Just because there are a few bad apples doesn't mean the whole house is evil!" Jamie looked thrilled that someone had finally seen it the same way she did, but Erin simply continued smiling, not in the least bit phased.

"Come off it, Aurora. It's obvious you like him."

"AARGH!" She stood up from her chair, agitated beyond belief. "Think whatever you want. I'm going to bed." She went up to the dorm room and threw herself onto the bed, glaring at the blue canopy above her.

Knowing she was too agitated to sleep, she drew the curtains around her bed and took out the bottle of perfume from her robes. Her enclosure became filled with the scent of lilac, and she replaced the stopper, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. When she at last drifted to sleep, her dreams were filled with images of hourglasses, floating envelopes, and flashes of green lights.


	13. Nightmares and Worries

Aurora was sitting in Transfiguration the Monday before Halloween, trying her best to stay awake. Her nightmares had become much more frequent, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept through the night. The bell finally rang, and she shoved her books into her bag and stood up, halting when she heard Professor McGonagall call after her.

"Miss Rinkle, I'd like a word with you, please." Aurora groaned as she waved her friends on. She knew _exactly_ what it was McGonagall wanted to talk to her about - Professor Flitwick had kept her after class last week, and Professor Quirrell had spoken to her just that morning.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked, trying to feign ignorance as she approached the desk. Professor McGonagall pulled a sheet of parchment from her bag and handed it to her. Aurora didn't need to see it for her to know what it was: last week's assignment. She hung her head as she saw the copious amounts of red ink.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, I have noticed a significant drop in the quality of your homework assignments of late. Not to mention that your class interaction has all but vanished. What is going on?"

"I dunno," she mumbled, unwilling to confess that she'd been having dreams about her mother's murder every night for the past three weeks, and that once she woke up from these dreams it was impossible to go back to sleep. Professor McGonagall fixed a penetrating stare on her.

"Is there something going on that should be brought to your father's attention?" Aurora's head snapped up, her eyes as large as saucers.

"My _father_?" Surely he would have told her if other staff members were allowed to know her secret, wouldn't he? The older witch smiled down at her.

"Don't worry, dear. I've known for quite some time. I knew your mother very well. But to get back to your marks -"

"I'll try to do better, Professor. I've just not been myself lately." Professor McGonagall didn't look very convinced, but she nodded brusquely.

"I hope so. I had high expectations for you; let us hope that they will not be unfounded." Aurora nodded, her head feeling impossibly heavy, as Professor McGonagall continued. "Now, Professor Dumbledore has asked me to escort you to his office. He needs to speak with you about something very serious."

Aurora looked up in alarm.

"It isn't about my marks, is it, Professor?"

"No. This is something else entirely." She followed Professor McGonagall to a stone Gargoyle just down from the Hospital Wing, and stepped onto the moving staircase when it was revealed. Her professor stayed in the corridor, and Aurora fixed her eyes on the landing at the top of the stairs, questions flooding her brain.

She was soon standing outside a door, so she knocked, and heard a muffled call to enter. Opening the door, she was surprised to see Harry, Ron, Erin, Jamie, and Kim sitting in front of the headmaster’s desk. Professor Dumbledore himself was standing, looking sternly on the assembly.

"Are we having a party?" Aurora asked, attempting to lighten the mood. The old wizard did not smile.

"Miss Rinkle, please come in and have a seat with your friends." She did as she was told, wondering what they were there for. "As you all know, Miss Jones has submitted a petition to me for her society known as S.P.A.M." They looked at one another in surprise.

"We didn't know she'd turned it in," Ron protested. "We thought she wanted five hundred signatures!"

"She _had_ five hundred, Mr. Weasley. Rather, she _believed_ she had five hundred signatures." Understanding dawned on them as they exchanged guilty looks.

"We didn't mean any harm, Professor," Aurora said softly. "We just wanted her to think all that time she's put into it wasn't wasted."

"Be that as it may, Miss Rinkle, you _have_ caused harm. I cannot stress enough how very disappointed I am in all of you. Miss Jones is your friend, and you've deliberately lied to her. Did you think that I would fail to notice that these are not the names of students enrolled at Hogwarts?"

"Like we said, Professor, we didn't believe she'd get enough authentic signatures to turn it in," Kim pressed.

"So you are supporting something you don't really believe will succeed?" Dumbledore asked them. "Is it simply a game to watch as your friend fails because of your efforts?" The group remained silent, staring at their hands and feet.

"Am I in trouble, too, Professor? I didn't have any part in making up those names," Jamie suddenly stated, glaring at Harry. "It was probably all Harry's idea."

"Actually, it was mine," Aurora said. Dumbledore glanced at her with interest.

"Indeed, Miss Rinkle? I had no idea you were capable of being so dishonest." She stared at him, speaking before she thought about what she was saying.

"Well, I've had a lot of practice, haven't I, sir?" She saw Dumbledore's lip twitch, and she could tell he was trying not to smile.

"That is something between you and your family, I believe." He sat behind his desk and leaned back as he regarded them thoughtfully. "I believe that I will deduct five points apiece, in addition to having all six of you serve detention. I trust that in the future you will support your friend by being honest with her."

"Are you going to tell her we forged the signatures, Professor?" Kim asked.

"No, Miss Travis, I am not." The friends breathed a sigh of relief. "But you are." The door opened and Deidre walked in, obviously expecting to hear that her petition had passed. She beamed at them as she sat down, and then waited as an awkward silence filled the air.

"Deidre -" Harry began.

"We, uh -" Kim tried.

"About that petition," Erin said.

"It's like this," Ron stammered.

"We didn't mean to hurt you," Aurora explained.

"Look, Deidre, they forged the signatures on the petition, okay? Are we done now?" They stared at Jamie in shock, and then Aurora quickly turned to gauge Deidre's reaction. She looked devastated.

"It wasn't to hurt you, Deidre, honestly. We just-"

"I don't want to hear any more excuses," she said, standing up. Looking over at Dumbledore, she asked, "I guess this means my petition has been denied?"

“I’m afraid so, Miss Jones,” he apologized. Jamie looked down at the group of first years again. "You are all hereby denied access to future meetings and events organized by S.P.A.M. I should have known you lot weren't interested in furthering the cause when _he_ ," she pointed at Harry, "Didn't even bother to come to all the meetings!" She stomped out of the office, leaving them all feeling thoroughly miserable. Dumbledore stood and looked down at them in amusement.

"Remarkable how it hurts to be kicked out of something you weren't really interested in, isn't it? You may all go now."

"Well, at least now I can say I've got a detention I actually deserved," Aurora said as they parted company with Harry and Ron and walked back up to Ravenclaw tower. When they got there, however, there was a surly looking crowd of students gathered around Jonna.

"What's going on?" Kim asked another student. The fourth year shrugged.

"She keeps telling people they can't get in," he said. The foursome pushed their way to the front of the crowd, where a frustrated David was trying to get past Jonna.

"I've told you the bloody password five times already!" he shouted. "Fairy Dust! Now move!" Jonna shook her head.

"None shall pass," she said, her voice sounding very deep and hollow. Aurora laughed, and David spun around to glare at her.

"You think it's funny that we can't get in?" David snarled.

"No, I just thought of the scene from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ where King Arthur tries to get past the black knight." Jonna nodded enthusiastically, and Kim let out a cry of excitement.

"That's got to be it, Aurora! We've got to act out that scene with her!" Jonna's helmet nearly fell off as she nodded again.

"None shall pass," she repeated. Kim then proceeded to go through the entire scene with the suit of armor, making sure to tone down the expletives, and a shout of triumph and relief went up as Jonna stepped aside to reveal their door. The students all filed in while David went to look for Professor Flitwick.

"Must have been a Halloween joke," Jamie said as they went up to their dorm.

"Some joke," Aurora retorted as she threw her schoolbag on the bed. "It was funny to see that vein pop out on Davey's neck, though." This started a new fit of giggles, but once they'd died down, they stared at the ceiling again.

"Let's go watch quidditch practice," suggested Kim.

"Can't," Aurora said. "It's not even dinnertime yet. It doesn't start until almost seven." They fell into silence again as they tried to come up with something to do.

"Wish we had a S.P.A.M. meeting to go to," Jamie said miserably. Aurora silently agreed with her. Then she grinned as she remembered she _did_ have something to do.

"Got to go, guys, I'll see you in a bit."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Jamie asked with interest.

"I've got to meet Basil," she said, ignoring the looks her friends were giving each other. "I wish you guys would give up with the whole infatuation thing. I'm just teaching him some muggle magic, that's _all_."

"Oh, sure. Like you really know _that_ much muggle magic," Kim said. "You've spent almost all your free time with that fat idiot."

"That's very intelligent, Kim. And he's not an idiot. Malfoy just doesn't give him enough chance to prove it."

"That sounds a lot like what Jamie says about Malfoy," Kim said bitterly.

"Yeah, but with Basil, it's true," Aurora shot back, ignoring the hurt look from Jamie. "You don't even talk to him, Kim. How do you know what he's like? That's like Jamie saying Harry's horrible. I wish everybody would stop making such one-sided accusations." Turning on her heel, she grabbed her bag and went down to the entrance hall, where Basil was waiting. She waved as he smiled his toothy grin, and then walked with him outside. The air was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining brightly, and she breathed deeply as the fresh air invigorated her.

They settled underneath their usual beech tree, and she pulled out her cards, handing them over to him to set up. "I want you to show me what you remember from last time," she said. "I don't really remember how far we got."

"We finished it, Aurora," he said, puzzled. He quickly went through the trick, and she frowned. She _really_ needed to get some sleep.

"Oh, right." She furrowed her brow in concentration as she tried to think of something else to show him.

"Are you okay? You've seemed a little off lately," Basil asked, his face a picture of concern. She smiled back at him. How had she ever thought he was an oaf?

"I'm fine, Basil. Just haven't been getting much sleep, that's all." She sighed. "And I need to start getting some, or else I'll never pass my classes."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. "Don't worry about it. But thanks for being concerned." She turned back to her bag, determined not to dwell on the subject of her sleeping habits. "I'm going to write to Steven and see if he'll send some me some more stuff to show you. I've got to do it quick, though, because he's leaving for his American tour next week."

She hastily scratched out a note, and then stood up. "I'm going to go up to the owlery, but I'll talk to you later, okay?" He nodded, still looking slightly worried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Severus waited impatiently in Minerva's office, he looked down on the two figures underneath the beech tree. Suddenly his vision blurred - shaking his head to clear it, he noticed the scene outside the window had changed. He saw two other students, Gryffindor and Slytherin, sitting in the same spot, as they so often had...

"Severus?" Minerva's voice brought him crashing back to the present, where it was not him and Lily sitting under the tree, but Aurora and Basil. He turned to Minerva, who was looking at him in surprise.

"Minerva, I wanted to speak with you." She seemed to sense what was coming as she sighed and sank resignedly into her chair.

"Severus, before you start ranting at me, I want you to know that I intended to come to you with the matter after dinner." He looked at her in confusion. What was she talking about?

"I came to ask if you'd noticed if Aurora had been behaving differently in your class," he said, frowning.

She stared at him, her mouth open in a small ‘o’ of surprise.

"Are you saying you haven't noticed a decline in her schoolwork?"

"No," he said, frowning.

"That's what I was going to talk to you about, Severus. She seems to have lost all interest. I confronted her after class today, but she refused to tell me what was going on."

”Her participation has been lax,” he admitted. “Her work remains adequate.” He thought of the paper she’d handed in on Thursday, and his scowl deepened. It had been so gradual – her papers had started out exemplary, but were now indistinguishable from his other first years. “She wouldn’t say what was bothering her?”

"No." She looked at him almost guiltily. "I thought there might be something she needed to talk to you about, so I asked her." He looked at her sharply, but she hurried on. "I'm worried about her, Severus. I was discussing it with some of the other teachers, and they've all said she's barely passing. Filius told me he had spoken with her last week, and Quirinus said she was very short with him when he questioned her this morning. She started out so well, it's a shame to see this happen."

"I will speak to her," he allowed. Severus glanced out the window, but Basil was now by himself beneath the beech tree, looking a little bewildered. Ignoring the pitying look on Minerva’s face, he swept past her and out the door.


	14. Fainting and Fighting

At dinner that evening, the normally enticing aromas of the food only served to make Aurora feel nauseous. She sat at the table, resting her throbbing head on her arms as she attempted to block out the noise of the hall.

"Are you okay?" Jamie's voice sounded as if it was coming from far away.

"Just tired, that's all," she replied groggily.

"You've had all weekend to sleep!" Jamie admonished.

"Shut up, Jamie," Erin scolded as she put her arm around Aurora. "You sure you're all right?" she whispered.

"Fine, just not very hungry right now," Aurora said, her speech slightly slurred.

"Why don't you just go to bed after you eat?" Kim suggested.

"I'm not hungry. Besides, I'm too tired to eat." Her friends immediately began protesting.

"It'll make you feel better, honest!" Aurora lifted her head with great difficulty.

"I. Am. Not. Hungry,” she reiterated firmly. “I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit." She dropped her head onto her arms once again and closed her eyes. Immediately a flash of green light shot towards her. She turned to run, but felt a sharp pain in her legs as she fell to the ground.

The sound of laughter brought her back to her senses, and she realized she was on the floor of the Hall. All eyes were on her as Erin helped her to her feet. Blushing from embarrassment, she ran from the eyes and laughter of the other students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus kept his eyes on Aurora as she entered the Hall, determined to notice anything unusual. She seemed a bit tired, but that was about all. He turned back to his food, deciding that it would be best to just confront her on Thursday, when he heard a loud crash. Looking up, he saw the source; Aurora was lying on the ground beside the Ravenclaw table, looking dazed. Apparently she had tripped over the bench when she'd gotten up. He watched as she was helped up, then ran from the room.

"S-s-severus, are you a-all right?" Severus looked at Quirrell in confusion before realizing he was half out of his chair.

"I'm fine, Quirrell," he snapped as he sat back down. "I was merely searching for the cause of that racket." Quirrell looked at him strangely before turning back to his own meal.

"M-m-miss R-rin-kle seems to be at-t-tracting quite a bit of attention to h-h-herself, w-w-wouldn't you say, S-s-everus?" Though he was calmly eating his soup, Quirrell's words rang in Severus's ears.

"What makes you say that, Quirinus?" He tried to keep his voice steady, though his mind was reeling.

"W-with h-her marks f-falling s-so q-quickly, and n-now m-m-making scenes in t-t-the Hall, a few of the s-s-staff m-m-members will b-b-be t-t-taking a bit more n-n-notice of her." Severus gave him a piercing look. What exactly was the stuttering fool implying? Quirrell smiled at the look on Severus's face. "D-d-did you h-h-honestly think n-n-nobody would s-s-see her r-r-resemblance to Marie?" Severus's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Quirrell."

"I d-d-don't u-u-understand why you're d-d-denying it, S-s-severus. S-s-she's n-n-nothing to b-be a-a-ashamed of." He stared at the door she'd run out of a few moments earlier. "I-it's q-q-quite o-o-obvious, now t-t-that I th-think about it. Identical to M-M-Marie." Severus felt his blood run cold. If this bumbling fool could put two and two together, then it would be just as Albus had predicted. He, too, looked out the door, noticing with interest that there were several other students now missing from the dining room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora sat in front of a gargoyle statue, her head too fuzzy to make a decision about where else to go.

"Aurora, are you okay?" Startled, she looked up to see her friends approaching, all of them looking very worried. She hastily wiped her eyes and stood up.

"I'm fine, really. I just fell off the bench, that's all."

"Why won't you ever tell us what's wrong?" Basil asked, his voice sharp. Seeing his hurt feelings reflected in the others’ eyes, she relented.

"I've been having nightmares for a while now," she began. "I see my mother-" Her voice cracked as the image of her mother lying dead in her sitting room popped into her head. "I _hear_ my mother being murdered." She sank to the floor again, resting her head against her knees.

"It's horrible,” she whispered. “I see her happy for a few minutes, then she sticks me in the stairwell, and I hear the door break. I hear her screaming -" Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the wall as she swallowed her tears. Erin quickly sat beside her, and Basil followed suit, both looking as if they weren't sure what they should do. Finally, Basil took hold of her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Harry asked. "At least we would have known why you've been so grouchy." She gave him a weak dimpled smile through her tears, grateful that none one of them were asking for more details.

"It just seemed silly, I guess," she finally said. "I mean, I don't even know if they're accurate. Nobody will tell me how she died."

"They seem too detailed to not be true," Basil said softly. "What brought them on, anyway?" She hesitated, somehow knowing that if she told them about the note she'd be telling them too much.

"I-I'm not sure," she finally stammered. "They started about the same time I served my second detention with Snape." She didn't meet their eyes as she spoke, and she wasn't sure if they believed her or not.

"Maybe you should write to your family," Kim suggested. "They could tell you if they're accurate, right? Maybe that's why they're recurring, because you're not sure."

"If they haven't told me so far, what makes you think they'll tell me now?" Aurora asked, staring at her hands.

"Write to Steven," Basil suggested.

"He's told me he doesn't know what happened to her," she replied, shaking her head. "I'll be all right, honestly." They looked at her skeptically, but finally stood and gave her a hand up.

“Thanks,” she said softly. “I feel better now that you all know.” Her friends smiled reassuringly as they walked back to the common room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of Halloween found Aurora struggling to focus on her Potions work. She hadn't gotten the slightest bit of sleep the night before, as she had struggled to finish her Potions assignment after the group of them had returned from their detention. They had scrubbed bedpans in the hospital wing, though with the six of them at it, it hadn't taken very long.

When she finally got to go to bed, the nightmare had come immediately, and as always, she'd ended up staring at the ceiling until dawn. Now the directions on the board seemed to fade in and out of focus as she tried to prepare her memory restorative potion.

The fumes of her simmering cauldron were doing nothing to help her stay awake. She was watching the flames dance under her cauldron, and then she found herself suddenly staring at the ceiling, wondering why she was on the floor. Erin was bent over her, looking worried, and she heard Jamie's voice next to her.

"Professor! Professor Snape! Aurora's just fainted!" He immediately appeared over her, his face a shade paler than usual.

"Get back, Miss Cafferty," he snapped. As soon as Erin had stood back, he looked down at Aurora again. "Are you hurt?" He asked gruffly.

"I-I don’t think so," she stammered, holding her hand to her head as a sharp pain flared. "Have a bit of a headache, though."

"Banging your head against stone does that," he said with a smirk. "Do you feel dizzy at all?"

"No, just cold. But I suppose that's because I'm on the floor as well."

"Indeed," he said, not noticing that the entire class was staring at him in open-mouth astonishment. Their Potions Master, being civil? He helped her up and led her to his office, where he had her sit in a chair in front of his desk.

A flick of his wand brought roaring flames to the fireplace, and he turned back towards her. "I'll be back in a moment " Aurora heard him telling her classmates to get back to work, then he entered again, shutting the door behind him. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Aurora nodded.

"I'm not even sure what happened," she said as she struggled to remember.

"You weren't out for very long," he said, scrutinizing her face. "Miss Hobbs barely had time to shout for me before you were awake again." He leaned back against his desk and folded his arms, still staring at her. Some color had returned to his face, though he still seemed a little shaken. "You don't know what caused it?" As she shook her head again, she could tell he was getting frustrated.

"Does it have anything to do with why your marks have dropped?" She looked up at him in alarm, then realized she'd been stupid to think Professor McGonagall wouldn't have told him.

"I don't know," she whispered.

”If there’s something I should be aware of –“

"There isn’t a whole lot you can do, _Professor_. Not without my friends wondering why you’d go out of your way to help me." Her voice was bitter, and she knew it, but it was the truth. He looked like he'd been expecting something like that, though, and as he sighed and walked around to his chair, she felt an unexpected urge to ask him about her dreams. Just as quickly, though, a nagging doubt crept in, and she kept her questions to herself. He ran his fingers through his hair with agitation before he spoke again.

"We have the opportunity now to discuss it, " he said quietly. The bell rang to end class, and he cursed under his breath. "I haven't given them their assignment yet. It'll only take a minute." She sat motionless as he sprang from his chair, and again she had the urge to tell him what was going on. Then the voice in her head popped back up.

 _If he really cared, he wouldn't have left in the middle of your conversation,_ it said. As he came back into the room, she gave in to the doubt and decided not to say anything.

"Is there something you wish to talk about?" She shook her head resolutely. He suddenly looked very tired. "I realize I cannot force you to confide in me. However, if there is something bothering you, then it concerns me as well. Do you understand?" She nodded, but doubted that she'd take him up on it. He looked at her intently for a moment, then sighed again. "I suggest you see Madam Pomfrey before you do anything else this morning."

"I'm fine, really." She forced a smile at him. "Must have been the fumes from Erin's potion or something."

"Fine," he said, clearly agitated. "You may go, then." She rose from the chair and went into the classroom, retrieving her bag. As she made her way up to the common room, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd made the right decision. She was doing that a lot lately. When she reached the corridor, people were murmuring amongst themselves, looking at something Aurora couldn't quite see. But she soon guessed what it was as she heard it singing.

 _"I'm too sexy for my helmet, too sexy for my helmet."_ Jonna was dancing in front of the entrance to the common room, holding her helmet apart from the rest of her and singing at the top of her lungs. Of course, being a suit of armor, she didn't really _have_ lungs, but she was loud nonetheless. _"I'm too sexy for my lance, too sexy for my lance,"_ she sang, as she tossed her helmet aside and began twirling the lance.

"This is a little too weird for me right now," Aurora muttered as she turned away to make her way up to the library. It was nearly empty, as most of the students were either watching the scene in the Ravenclaw corridor or else enjoying the crisp October weather. She pulled out her Potions book, knowing that it would take her at least the entire night to finish a simple two foot essay given her level of concentration at that point. As she struggled to form complete intelligent sentences, Kim and Erin arrived, both of them looking very concerned.

"Tell us what happened back there, Aurora," Kim demanded.

"One minute I was concentrating on my potion, and the next I was laying on the floor. I don't remember anything between that."

"You kind of swayed a bit, then fell down," Erin offered. "You weren't out very long, but while you were, you were whispering, 'No, please,' and that kind of stuff. You woke up just as Jamie was calling for Snape." Aurora stared at her.

"Guess I had another dream," she said softly. "Probably the same one I've had all month." She sighed. "At least I don't remember it, though. That's something. Usually I relive the whole thing after I wake up from it." She shuddered as the image of her mother lying on the floor passed through her mind.

"What did Snape do?" Kim asked.

"Not much, just asked me a bunch of questions. He wanted me to go to the Hospital Wing."

"Why didn't you?"

"I feel fine now. I was just tired today."

"If you're sure."

Aurora forced a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The girls settled in beside her to do their own homework.

They worked through lunch, but as it was nearing dinnertime, Erin and Kim stood up.

"C'mon Aurora, let's go to the feast," Kim instructed, rolling her parchment.

"I'm not hungry. You go on. I'll meet you back at the common room." They looked unsure, but she smiled at them again. "Really, guys. I just want to finish this tonight."

They left her alone, and she turned again to her Potions assignment. She finally closed the book with a sigh. Although she didn't think she'd get the chance to finish it later, she was past caring. She began to gather her books when she heard footsteps. Glancing up, she saw Draco walking straight towards her. Trying to be gone before he got there, she threw everything into her bag, then groaned when her papers fell to the floor.

"Oh look," he sneered, "If it isn't the runt. What are you doing in here, Runt? Hoping to soak up some knowledge? From what I hear, your marks are so bad you're making Rosier look smart."

"Basil is not stupid, Doofus. If you knew him at all, you'd know that." Her voice was quiet as she finished cleaning up, then pushed past him and out the door. He followed her, hurling insults until she finally spun around. "What is it you want, Malfoy? Because right now you're headed towards a fist in your face!" Far from phasing him, her words made him grin.

"Temper, temper, Rinkle. You couldn't hit me if you tried."

"Oh no? Your head's certainly a big enough target." His eyes narrowed as he glared at her.

"Go ahead, Pipsqueak, I dare you." She clenched her fist, fighting to resist the urge to wipe the slimy smirk from his face.

Regaining her control, she began walking away. "You're not worth it, Doofus." He walked by her, shoving her roughly as he went. She lost her balance and fell to the floor, hearing the unmistakable sound of glass breaking. "No," she whispered as the scent of lilac permeated the air. Sticking her hand inside her robes, she felt a sharp prick as a shard of glass cut her hand. Pulling it out, she saw what she had feared: her mother's perfume bottle had been smashed. She hadn’t even remembered putting it into her pocket that morning.

Suddenly all her frustration and hurt came to the surface, and she lunged at Draco, getting in a good blow to his face. Evidently this was what he'd been waiting for, but the ferocity of her attack caught him slightly off guard, and she was able to knock him to the ground before he began fighting back.

They wrestled around for quite some time, each getting in a solid blow now and again before Aurora felt a strong arm pulling her off of him. She continued to kick and flail her arms, afraid that it was one of Draco's cronies holding her up so that he would be able to have a better chance.

"Enough!"

She stopped struggling and looked up to see her father looming above her, looking angrier than she had ever seen him.


	15. Repercussions

Severus stood in the corridor, holding Aurora firmly by the waist. Her hair had come out of its ponytail and now hung disheveled, and she was bleeding from a cut on her lip. Her right hand was bleeding from a cut as well, and it was obvious she was going to have quite a few bruises come tomorrow morning.

Draco was not much better off - his nose looked as if it had been broken, and his left eye was already swelling shut. Severus released Aurora, and then grabbed Draco by his torn robes, lifting him off the ground. Without saying another word, he half dragged them both down to his office, listening to the drivel the boy was spouting about what happened.

"She jumped me, Professor Snape, honestly!"

"That will be quite enough, Mr. Malfoy," Severus snarled as he released the back of his robes. Aurora looked miserable as she stood next to Draco in front of Severus' desk. Surveying the two students’ injuries critically to make sure they weren't in immediate danger, he crossed his arms angrily across his chest. "I am going to get the headmaster, along with Professor Flitwick, as he is Miss Rinkle's Head of House. You two will remain here until I return, and there will be absolutely _no more fighting_. Muggle or otherwise. Am I clear?" They nodded as he swept out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As he made his way to Albus’ office, he tried to think of what would have caused Aurora to get violent. Perhaps Draco had attacked her. “Or she lost her temper,” he muttered as he climbed the stairs behind the gargoyle statue. Albus was already emerging from his office, and appeared startled to find Severus on the stairs.

"Severus, is there something I can do for you?"

"I need you to accompany me to my office, Albus. I'll explain everything on the way to collect Filius." Dumbledore arched his eyebrows.

"Am I to conclude that this has something to do with Aurora, then?" Severus nodded brusquely, then turned and began walking towards the stairs of the Ravenclaw Tower. As he passed by the hall to the common room, he heard the unmistakable sound of a suit of armor dancing. Frowning, he and Albus walked down the passage, where Jonna was still doing her 'I'm too sexy' dance. Fortunately, Professor Flitwick was there, trying to rectify the situation.

"Albus, Severus, hullo!” he greeted them as he waved his wand and ceased Jonna’s dancing. “I’m afraid we may need to look into another safeguard for our tower,” he remarked. “The students are constantly jinxing Jonna to do these things – something a bit more suitable for Ravenclaw, perhaps, Albus? I was thinking something that would teach-“

"Pardon me," Severus said coolly. "We didn't come up here to discuss renegade suits of armor, Filius. One of your students has just been caught fighting, and we need you to come down and dole out the proper punishment." Filius’ face immediately fell.

"Who is it?"

"Miss Rinkle," Severus stated, watching his reaction.

"Oh, dear," he muttered as he followed the two men down to the dungeons. “I was afraid her falling marks were a sign of something more serious.” Severus ignored him, wondering what sort of damage Aurora and Draco had done to each other since he'd left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as her father left the room, Aurora turned to glare at Draco. She smiled smugly as she saw the damage she'd inflicted on him, then winced as a pain shot through her face. Reaching up, she noticed her lip was split, and now that the adrenaline from the fight was over, she was beginning to notice her other aches and pains as well. Draco looked as smug as she felt, and she could only imagine how terrible she must look.

"Looks like you're in for some more detention, Rinkle," he shot at her.

She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Shut up, Doofus, or-"

"Or what? You'll hit me again? Do it, Runt. It'll just improve your chances of being expelled." She closed her eyes and counted to ten as she clenched her fists, trying not to think of the shards of glass in her robe pocket. She could always repair the bottle, but the contents were gone forever.

She didn't respond to his taunting, and was thankful when the teachers entered the room. Her relief died at the looks on all of their faces. Her father was livid – a sight she had grown accustomed to - the headmaster looked more disappointed than anything, and Professor Flitwick looked worried.

"I believe we would all like to hear an explanation, please," Dumbledore said softly as he scrutinized them both. Draco spoke immediately.

"It's all her fault, Professor. I was simply walking down the hall when she came at me from nowhere. I was merely defending myself." Aurora laughed out loud, amazed that he thought the teachers would actually believe him.

"This is not a laughing matter, Miss Rinkle," her father said icily as he towered over her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I just - you don't actually believe that rubbish he's feeding you, do you?" she asked, her smile instantly fading at the look on his face.

"We are listening to Mr. Malfoy's version of events, Miss Rinkle. In a moment, we shall hear yours. Please continue, Draco." The headmaster turned expectantly back to Malfoy.

"That's all, Professor." He put on a look of pure innocence. "She's been rude to me all year, I don't know what I've done to make her dislike me." His tone made her blood boil, and she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists at her side - an action all three teachers noticed, but did not remark on. They all waited expectantly for her to begin her side of it, and once she forced her anger down, she started.

"I was in the library, working on the essay Professor Snape assigned as homework," she said through clenched teeth, finding that as she spoke her anger and hurt returned. "Doofus over here -"

"You would do well to refrain from name calling, Miss Rinkle," Professor Flitwick admonished. "His name is Draco."

" _Draco_ came up to me as I was getting ready to leave. He started to taunt me, and after exchanging insults, I walked away. Once my back was turned, he shoved me to the ground, and -" she hesitated, not knowing if she could trust her voice to remain steady. "I carry something with me all the time," she said softly, feeling the tears well up at the thought. _I am not going to cry,_ she thought to herself. _Especially not in front of Malfoy._ "When he pushed me, I fell, and it broke. I was angry and upset, and that's when I hit him." She felt her father’s eyes fixed on her, but she didn't meet them.

"What was so important that it warranted violence?" Dumbledore’s question held no trace of anger, and when Aurora met his kind gaze, she could see that he was curious.

"It was my mother's," she said, finally meeting her father’s eyes. She saw surprise turn to disbelief.

"I didn't know anything broke," Draco said, frowning. As he realized he'd inadvertently verified her story, he began stammering. "I mean, I couldn't have broken anything, as she attacked me." He looked at the teachers anxiously, but none of them looked like they quite believed him.

"May we see it?" Her father asked quietly. "It will lend credibility to her story," he explained to Professor Flitwick in response to his confused look. Aurora emptied the contents of her pocket onto the desk.

" _Reparo_ ," muttered her father. They watched as the tiny bottle rebuilt itself, empty of the perfume that once filled it. Severus looked at Aurora, and she could tell he was wondering where she'd gotten it from. Oddly enough, he didn't appear to be angry. As she stared at the empty bottle, however, the lump rose in her throat again.

"It was the only thing I had of hers," she said, still struggling against her tears.

"Perhaps we should give Mr. Malfoy his punishment and send him on his way." Dumbledore's voice was soft as he looked from father to daughter. Severus seemed to come out of a trance as he nodded.

"In both accounts, Miss Rinkle did attack Mr. Malfoy. Whether she was provoked or not is irrelevant. I view Mr. Malfoy as the victim in this case." Draco shot a smirk of victory to Aurora. "However, as he was also fighting, and striking a young lady -" Severus spoke with obvious disgust, "I feel a week of detention, a three foot essay on chivalry, and a deduction of 15 points from Slytherin house will suffice." Draco looked shocked.

"You're taking points from _Slytherin_?" he asked incredulously. His Head of House looked at him coolly.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Fighting is against the rules at Hogwarts. When you break the rules, you must suffer the consequences." Draco still looked amazed. Evidently taking points from Slytherin was not a normal occurrence for Severus.

"Well done, Professor Snape," Dumbledore said. "Now, off to the Hospital Wing, Mr. Malfoy. Your first detention will be tomorrow evening." Malfoy stalked out, and Aurora felt a twinge of triumph before she turned back to the teachers. Her smile faded as she realized her punishment was probably going to be twice as harsh.

"Miss Rinkle," Professor Flitwick began, ”Do you recall the conversation after class last week?” Aurora nodded, but didn’t see what her marks had to do with fighting. “I asked you then if there was something bothering you, and you assured me that there wasn’t. I feel your behavior tonight indicates that there is most definitely something on your mind. I’ll give you another chance now before I decide on a suitable punishment.” Aurora looked at the man standing beside her father – she quite liked him, but she still could not bring herself to tell him about her dreams.

“Very well,” her Head of House said quietly, when it was clear that she would not answer. “In light of the fact that you insist nothing is influencing your behavior, I feel a month of detentions is in order.”

"A month! But Malfoy only got a week!" she protested.

"Mr. Malfoy is not in my house,” Professor Flitwick reminded her. “I do not take fighting lightly, Miss Rinkle. Therefore, I will also take fifteen points from Ravenclaw, and will expect four feet on why violence should _always_ be a last resort, to be handed in tomorrow evening at your first detention.” Aurora pursed her lips, still certain the punishment was unfair.

"May I make another stipulation?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course, Headmaster. Add anything you like."

"Miss Rinkle seems to respond to Professor Snape’s methods,” he began, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he looked at Aurora. “Perhaps it would be best to allow him to oversee her detentions?” Professor Flitwick looked nonplussed, but nodded nonetheless as Aurora’s spirits sank. Her arms ached just _thinking_ about scraping desks for an entire month.

“I have no objections – if you agree, Professor Snape?” Aurora glanced at her father’s face. He was staring at his employer with nothing short of loathing, she was sure of it.

“If you feel it is the best course, Headmaster,” he agreed through clenched teeth. Dumbledore beamed at them.

“Excellent. Now, between trolls being set loose in the dungeons, bewitched guardians, and a first year brawl, I believe I have had quite enough excitement for this evening. Professor Flitwick, would you care to accompany me, perhaps you could expand on your desire for a new Ravenclaw Tower safeguard?” The smaller wizard nodded eagerly, and Aurora’s gaze followed them as the two swept from the room. Only when the door had closed behind them did she reluctantly turn back to her father.

He was examining the newly repaired perfume bottle closely, but handed it back to her when he noticed she was watching him.

"Get on to the Hospital Wing," he instructed, his voice soft. It seemed to Aurora that he was in another world as she pocketed the bottle and proceeded up the stairs to see Madam Pomfrey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora had been right about her father. As he watched her go, his thoughts had already drifted back to a different time, when he had felt like a different person.

He remembered the day he’d bought the bottle, and painstakingly wrapped it in green and gold; remembered how he had left it where she was sure to find it, only to have it reappear on his bed the following morning, unopened; Marie’s exclamations of being impressed that he had known her favorite perfume, not realizing that it hadn’t been purchased with her in mind.

So Aurora had somehow found the perfume bottle. Interesting. But why keep it a secret? He knew the answer before he had finished the thought. She was no doubt under the impression that he would discard the bottle, and she would have been right. The girl herself was enough to remind him of his guilt; he certainly didn’t need any help there.

His thoughts wandered to the photograph Aurora had found during her last detention, which was once again hidden inside his desk – one of the few mementos he _had_ kept. Severus withdrew it tenderly, wishing – as he always did – that he was able to see the source of his smile. _Pictures can be misleading_ , he thought dryly. Yes, he had been happy that day – Lily had snapped the photo the week before their OWL’s.

Before he’d cocked everything up and his world was turned on its head.

No. That wasn’t quite fair. He’d cocked everything up well before that. But for a brief moment, it had seemed as though they were first years again, sticking by each other despite their friends’ opinions.

He extinguished the fire and walked to his quarters, imagining how Aurora felt to have the one connection to her mother snatched away from her. Surely it couldn’t rival the hole he felt within himself at the lost chance of love – could it?

"Beetle blood," he muttered, sinking into his armchair once the portrait had swung open. He turned on his magically adapted radio, thinking, not for the first time that the radio could read his mind.

 _I'll be loving you Always_  
_With a love that's true Always..._  
_Not for just an hour,_  
_Not for just a day,_  
_Not for just a year,_  
_But Always._


	16. Double Trouble

Aurora laid in bed, staring at the canopy above her in misery. Madam Pomfrey had healed her cuts, but had told her there was nothing she could do to stop the bruising. Draco had been in the bed across from Aurora, howling in mock agony the entire time. Though he'd gotten there well before she had, and been a bit better off injury wise, he was still there when she'd left.

 _Probably going to milk it for all it’s worth_ , she thought bitterly, though she didn't really care at that point. All she could think about was the perfume bottle. Aurora looked at it again, thinking that maybe she could get her uncle to buy her some lilac perfume to fill it with, but as silly as it sounded to her, it wouldn't be the same.

"At least I still have the bottle," she muttered sleepily, "That's something, anyway." She returned the empty bottle to her trunk and tried again to go to sleep. When her eyes drifted shut, she saw her mother smiling back at her. Ecstatic, she ran towards her, trying to reach her, to hug her. It seemed that every time she got close to her, Marie floated further and further away.

"Mum, wait!" she cried, but to no avail. The figure of her mother continued to drift on, until she finally disappeared from sight. Aurora blinked her eyes open slowly, knowing exactly what the dream meant: she had lost the only connection she’d ever had with her mother. Her heart aching, she began sobbing into her pillow until she fell into another restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she woke up, she heard her friends talking excitedly amongst themselves.

"I wonder who let it in?" Jamie whispered.

"Who cares?" Kim shot back. "I'm more worried about why we never saw Aurora come back to the common room than about some stupid troll!" Aurora had the feeling her friends were staring right at the curtains drawn around her bed as they continued talking.

"Don't wake her up yet," Erin said softly. "She needs all the sleep she can get these days." Aurora pulled back her curtains, and smiled ruefully as her friends all gaped at her.

"What the heck happened to you?"

"You look like crap!"

"As ever, the voices of tact," Erin mumbled, shaking her head.

"Nothing much, just happened to have a run-in with Malfoy's fists," Aurora replied, extricating fresh clothes from the trunk next to her bed. They were silent for a moment, and then Jamie spoke hesitantly.

"D-Draco did that to you?" Her eyes were wide with disbelief. "Why?"

"According to him, I jumped him," she said bitterly. "I was very cranky, and he kept egging me on." She dropped her voice significantly. "He broke my Mum's perfume bottle. It's empty now." Jamie didn't look like she knew what to say, but Erin and Kim went over to her side.

"Geez, Aurora, that's horrible," Kim said as she gave her a hug.

"Tell me about it." She grabbed her robes. "I'm going to take a quick bath before I go down to breakfast. I didn't get the chance to take one last night." She left her friends staring after her as she made her way to the bathroom, only to be stopped by David.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I think I'll have a sign made, so that I can stick it to my back. It'll say: 'I was in a barroom brawl and all I got was this lousy sign'. Think that'll keep the questions to a minimum?" She tried to squeeze past him, but he blocked the doorway.

"Fighting, eh?" He had a strangely triumphant look on his face. "Wait till I tell Professor Flitwick. You'll be in detention for a week."

"A month, actually. He already knows. Now, please get out of the way so I can take a bath, or you'll be complaining that I stink, too." She ducked under his arm, leaving him looking a bit nonplussed.

She took a bath, forcing herself to get out after only ten minutes. It felt good to just soak away her aches and pains...but she was starving, and couldn't risk missing Transfiguration. Doing her best to ignore the stares from the other students, she made her way down to the Great hall, taking a seat next to Erin and pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"Does Draco look as bad as you do?" Jamie asked as she noticed Malfoy wasn't sitting at the Slytherin table.

"Well, seeing as how I'm practically half his size, Jamie, no. He came off quite a bit better, I'd imagine. Though I did get in a good kick to his shins. I swear I saw him limping when Snape was dragging us to his office."

"Snape? He's the one who caught you fighting?" Kim looked horror-struck.

"Yeah. He seemed pretty ticked off at Malfoy, though. Gave him a week's detention, a punishment essay, _and_ took points from Slytherin." Jamie was speechless.

"What'd he do to you?"

"Brought Flitwick down. He wasn't very thrilled about it. Neither was Dumbledore. Speaking of which, Flitwick is thinking about getting rid of Jonna!"

"Don't try to change the subject," Kim said stoutly. "What punishment did you get?"

"A month of detention, a punishment paper, and fifteen points taken."

"A _month_? And Malfoy only got a week? That is so not fair!" Kim looked livid.

"Yeah, and it's with Snape, too," Aurora said, taking a huge bite of raisin bran.

"That ought to be interesting," Erin mused. "Why isn't it with Flitwick?"

"Dumbledore thinks I respond better to Snape." Their conversation was interrupted as the mail arrived. A large package dropped in front of Aurora, hastily wrapped in brown paper. With her friends looking on in curiosity, she opened it to reveal another box, a note taped to the lid.

_Ra -_

_I've just found out that the tour I'm going on is leaving this afternoon, so I'm sorry if I didn't send enough to keep you busy with your friend, but it was packed in a hurry. Who is this fellow that you're teaching? Tell him he's more than welcome to write to me if he likes. I'd love to have another pen pal who's interested in Muggle magic! Have to go now, hope everything is going well at school._

_Love,_

_Uncle Steven_

Opening the box, she let out a squeal of delight. "Ooh, just wait until I tell Basil!" She pulled out a set of three large silver rings, a set of colorful silk scarves, and a smaller clear box with a hinged lid before Erin cleared her throat. She was glancing up at the staff table, and Aurora knew she was looking at her father. Getting the hint, she quickly stuffed everything back in the box. She tipped her bowl and drained the last of the milk from it, then set it back down and stood up. "I'm just going to put this in the common room. I'll meet you in Transfiguration, okay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus tuned out the rubbish Quirrell was stammering on about as he saw Aurora enter the Hall for breakfast. As he'd predicted, her face was covered in bruises, and she looked as if she'd been run over by a truck. He watched her sit with her friends, then turned his attention to the Slytherin table, where Draco’s absence struck him as amusing. Knowing Lucius, Draco was probably sitting in the common room right now, listening by either howler or Floo powder to his father's ranting disgust at him being in a muggle fist fight.

Smirking as he thought of Lucius' head, red with fury, staring Draco down from within the Slytherin fireplace, he turned his attention to the mail owls. As he normally didn't get mail, he was quite surprised when a letter dropped onto his plate. Curious, he picked it up, then groaned as he recognized the handwriting. What could Lucius possibly blame him for now?

_Severus -_

_Thank you for alerting me to Draco's altercation with that simpering Ravenclaw he's told me so much about, though I must say his punishment sounds a bit harsh. As one of the school governors, I do have some experience in the matter. Surely for an old friend you could see fit to lift his detentions for next week? After all, boys will be boys, won't they?_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Severus crumpled the letter in his hand, cursing violently enough to cause half of the staff table to look at him reproachfully. He hastily scribbled a reply:

_Lucius -_

_I believe you are allowing your judgment to be hampered by the fact that Draco is your son. As you pointed out, being one of the governors, you should know that students at Hogwarts are expected to abide by the rules: those caught breaking them must be punished. Therefore I cannot be more lenient with Draco than I would be with any other student that was caught fighting, especially when his opponent was a young lady half his size. Draco will serve _all_ of his detentions with me._

_Severus Snape_

Even as he sent the letter, he knew it wouldn't be the end of Lucius' tirade. Short of telling him that Draco would get off scot-free after this little scuffle, there was no way to placate the man.

Severus's thoughts were interrupted as he saw that Aurora was hastily shoving items into a box he assumed she had received in the mail. She glanced at him a bit apprehensively as she left the Hall with the box under one arm, and he frowned. What was she up to?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Aurora got to class, Erin and Kim were in their usual seats. Jamie, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Jamie?" Aurora asked as she sat next to Erin. Kim shook her head angrily.

"She went to check on Malfoy." She slammed her book down on her desk, causing Professor McGonagall to look over at them. When she saw Aurora, her eyes narrowed disapprovingly, but she did not approach them.

Just as class was starting, Jamie came hurrying in, taking her seat next to Kim.

"So how's Doofus doing? Did Aurora ruin his ravishing good looks?" Jamie muttered something unintelligible, but they didn't have a chance to ask her anything as McGonagall began the lesson.

Apparently Jamie didn't want to be questioned, because she bolted through the door immediately after the bell rang to end class. She didn't show up for Defense Against the Dark Arts or Herbology, and the three of them were getting worried when she wasn't in the library after lunch. The girls sat at a table and pulled out their books as they speculated on their friend's whereabouts.

"Maybe we should go look for her," Aurora suggested. "Although she's probably just mad because his eye's swollen shut. Now he can't leer at anyone properly."

"Yeah, he'll just have to settle with giving people the evil eye," Kim snickered. Aurora and Erin began to laugh, but stopped when Madam Pince glared at them from her desk. Aurora began working on her punishment essay, thinking it would be best to simply scribble something legible down. Harry and Ron soon arrived, accompanied by a girl with bushy brown hair that Aurora remembered seeing in the library a lot.

"This is our friend Hermione," Harry said as they sat down.

"Nice to meet you, " they said in unison. Kim leaned over to whisper to Aurora.

"If she's their friend, how come we've never met her before?" Aurora shrugged.

"She's always up here in the library. Maybe she doesn't get out much." They looked up as Jamie brushed airily by them, clutching Draco's arm. Basil had followed Jamie and Draco in, and sat down next to Harry, his jaw set.

"Aurora, did you _really_ do that to Malfoy?" asked Ron, clearly astonished. She nodded as they overheard Draco telling the Slytherins at his table that he'd missed the vanishing step on the main staircase, and had sustained his injuries falling down said stairs. Aurora shook her head in disbelief, amazed that people believed him. Basil was looking at her face, frowning.

"And he did that to you?"

"Well, I hit him first," she stammered, trying to head off any further incidents.

"I didn’t realize how bad it was,” Basil said. “I’ll tell everyone in the common room that I know for a fact it was you who broke his nose." Basil grinned devilishly. "Not to mention that I’ll _accidentally_ let it slip that Draco sleeps with a stuffed bunny rabbit named Tiddles." They all giggled, earning another glare from Madam Pince.

"Aren't you afraid he'll tell your grandfather about our little meetings?" Aurora asked, staring intently at Basil. He smiled grimly as he answered.

"No, I still have lots more dirt on him. Even if he does, it will have been worth it. He won't live down the Tiddles thing until we graduate."

"Speaking of our little meetings, though -"

"I know. Draco was strutting around the dorm rubbing it in my face that you got a month when he only got a week."

"Steven sent me some good stuff to show you, and we can meet Saturdays or something."

"Saturdays sound good!" As she turned back to her essay, she caught a glimpse of Kim staring at Basil in what appeared to be approval.

"Too bad it took me getting bruised up for it to happen," she muttered, pleased nonetheless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Aurora made her way down to the dungeons that evening, she tried to think of what her father could have her do for an entire month.

"I hope I don't have to scrape desks the entire time," she muttered as she climbed down the stairs. When she reached the last step, she stopped, hoping her eyes were playing tricks on her. "What are _you_ doing here, Doofus?" She hadn't thought about the fact that Draco would be serving his detentions with her father as well.

"Thanks to you, I've got detention, remember?" Draco crossed his arms and glared at her with his one good eye.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot that _you_ were completely innocent," she snapped bitterly.

"According to Professor Snape, _I'm_ the victim, remember? After all, you viciously attacked me -"

"So you admit that it was a girl who gave you that black eye and broken nose? I heard you telling everyone it was a horrible accident and that you'd fallen down the stairs!" His face turned red as he fumed silently. _Point to me_ , she thought happily as she pushed past him into the classroom. Her father was sitting at his desk, but he looked up as they entered.

"You two are very nearly late, " he said disapprovingly. He stood and glared down at them, his hands clasped behind his back. "Tonight you may begin with those-." He waved his hand to indicate a pile of particularly nasty cauldrons, and then held out his hand towards them. "I will take your wands and your punishment essays now."

"Why do you want our wands?" Draco asked defensively as they handed over their papers. It was clear from his expression that he’d fully expected he would be able to use magic to get through the task.

"When you speak to me, you will address me as either 'Professor Snape' or 'sir', Mr. Malfoy. Is that clear?" His voice was calm, but Aurora could sense the anger boiling just below the surface.

"Yes, Professor Snape."

"Good. To answer your question, this is a punishment. As such, you will not be allowed to use any spells to ease your workload while you are here. Now, hand over your wands." The students reached inside their robes and relinquished their wands, then rolled up their sleeves and set in on the cauldrons. Severus returned to his desk and began reviewing their papers, leaving them relatively alone in the corner. After about five minutes of them both grabbing for the same cauldron, the same brush, the same _everything_ , Aurora exploded.

"For Merlin’s sake, Doofus! Pick a set of supplies already!" Her voice had risen slightly, and her father glanced over from his desk.

“Not fighting _again_ , are we, Miss Rinkle?" She met his stare unwaveringly as she answered.

"No, Professor Snape. Just trying to get organized."

"That does not require shouting at Mr. Malfoy. Keep your voice down."

"Yes, sir." She ignored the sneer on Draco’s face as she began to divide the supplies. "There," she said, satisfied. They each had an equal amount of cauldrons, along with their own stack of cleaning supplies. Draco, however, was clearly not a team player. He worked so slowly that Aurora had finished her stack well before he'd gotten through half of his. She stood to leave, but her father’s voice stopped her before she’d moved.

"Going somewhere, Miss Rinkle?" he asked silkily.

"I've finished my stack of cauldrons, Professor," she explained, indicating the gleaming stack.

"It looks to me like Mr. Malfoy has quite a few in front of him."

"But I've done half, sir, it's only fair that he should do the other half. He's just being slow so that he won't have to do as many," she said quietly, arguing despite being almost certain that he would make her stay. Her father's voice was dangerously low as he spoke.

"Unless you wish to extend your already lengthy detentions, Miss Rinkle, I suggest you sit back down and finish scrubbing those cauldrons with Mr. Malfoy."

"But, Professor Snape -"

" _Now_ , Miss Rinkle!" She remained standing for a minute, glaring at him, before she decided she'd better not push her luck any further. Giving him a last defiant look, she sat down and glared at Draco, who was grinning as he scrubbed the same cauldron he'd been on for ten minutes.

"Shut up Malfoy," she spat at him as she grabbed a cauldron from the stack and viciously began scrubbing. Her scene had only made matters worse, as Draco slowed his pace down considerably. Aurora, taking a page from Draco's book, slowed to match his pace. After an hour of scrubbing had yielded only four clean cauldrons, her father appeared at their side.

"You two _do_ realize that you will not leave until these are all finished, don't you?" he asked as he looked at the stack that still awaited them.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Professor Snape," Draco said innocently. "But my arm is still sore from where Aurora bit it last night. She can go much faster, she was doing it before, but she's just mocking me now." Severus raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Mr. Malfoy, you saw Madam Pomfrey last evening, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I don't believe your arm can be bothering you enough to hamper your scrubbing capabilities. Get a move on, both of you. _I_ have no desire to be here until midnight." He looked up as Professor McGonagall came bursting into the dungeons, looking very angry.

"Professor Snape, I need a word with you. _Now,_ " she snapped, breezing past them into his office. He looked at the two students sternly before following McGonagall into his office. Draco and Aurora exchanged glances before Draco sprang from the chair. He put his ear to the closed door, waving his hand annoyingly at Aurora as she protested.

"I hope he catches you, Doofus. That's good for at least another week of detention." He soon came back, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Can't hear anything anyway. Probably cast an Imperturbable Charm on it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What can I do for you, Minerva?" Severus asked as he leaned carelessly against his desk.

"Severus, what in Merlin's name happened?"

"Pardon?"

"Don’t you play coy - Aurora!"

"Ah. She and Mr. Malfoy had a bit of an altercation last evening."

"Why?" Her hands were on her hips, eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Minerva, shouldn't you be addressing your concerns to Albus?"

"You know perfectly well why I came to you," she said, crossing her arms angrily over her chest. "Did you at least speak to her, as you said you would?"

"Yes, " he replied shortly, feeling his anger rise. "She fainted during class, and while trying to find out what _that_ was all about, I brought up her marks." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Honestly! So while she was probably already scared, upset, and embarrassed about fainting in front of the entire class, you bring up the fact that she is nearly failing out of Hogwarts. Let me venture a guess - you still haven't found out what's wrong, have you?"

"Minerva, your consistent meddling is becoming very tiresome," he snapped. He regretted the words as he saw the hurt look on her face.

"I am only _trying_ to make you understand that you can't treat an eleven-year-old girl that's been hurt too much the same way you treat everyone else." Her voice was softer, but her eyes still blazed with fury.

"Perhaps I should have Steven come up here. No doubt _he_ will be able to get it out of her," he said bitterly, sure that his brother would know precisely what to say. McGonagall's eyes softened a bit at his sullen tone, and her voice was a bit kinder when she spoke.

"She knows that Steven is there for her, as well as Malichi. What she _needs_ is her father, Severus. It’s time to use your usual stubbornness to your advantage. Don’t give up, and she may confide in you simply to stop your nagging."

"Yes, but will it be soon enough?"

"We can only hope so."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora watched McGonagall leave the office, giving Aurora a small smile as she passed. This gesture only made the girl more confused, and she looked over at her father, who was looking very weary. Finishing up the last cauldron, she stacked it with the others and walked up to his desk.

"Yes?"

"We've finished, Professor. May I have my wand back now?" He stood and looked down at her, waiting until Draco had reached the desk. Her father handed him his wand, and the boy left after giving Aurora one last sneer of triumph. She remained standing in front of the desk, meeting Severus's stare with one equally as intense.

"Aurora, do you understand what happened here tonight?" He spoke softly as he stared down at her.

"I understand that you're giving Doofus preferential treatment, if that's what you mean," she snapped, rubbing her aching arms.

"Evidently you weren’t paying attention,” he retorted. “As I told Mr. Malfoy, this was a punishment. I trust you'll think twice the next time you have the urge to strike someone?" He handed her back her wand as he continued, "Do you remember when I told you that you should be wary around Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yeah. And I said I wasn't going to let him walk all over me. _But you are making it easier for him._ "

"It isn't a good idea to start trouble with the Malfoys, Aurora." His eyes pleaded with her to understand. "If you believe nothing else I tell you, you must believe that. I've known Lucius Malfoy for twenty years, and it is very unwise to incur his wrath. I want you to be more careful who you choose as your enemies." She felt hot anger welling up inside her.

"He started -"

"It doesn't matter.”

"Are you saying I should just ignore him?"

"If at all possible, yes."

"That's a bit hard to do. He has this knack for being _very_ annoying."

"Well, perhaps if you refrain from attacking him in the future, you won't have anything to worry about from him - or his father."

"It wasn't unprovoked, you know," she said sullenly.

"I know," he allowed. "But there are some times when it is best simply to walk away." He handed her punishment paper back. "This was rubbish. Have something more intelligent by Monday's detention. Three days should give you ample time to string coherent thoughts together."

"Yes, sir," she stated as she left the room, thinking about his words. As she was leaving, she bumped into a very tall man with long blond hair and cold grey eyes. He would have been very handsome if he hadn't had a contemptuous sneer glued to his face.

"Lucius, what are you doing here?" Severus was suddenly beside them, glancing from Aurora to the man. "Miss Rinkle, get back to your dormitory, _now_."

She began walking down the hall, risking a glance behind her. Lucius was staring intently after her, and as Severus pulled him past the door, she saw a glint of recognition appear in his eyes, causing her to shudder involuntarily.


	17. Another Letter

"What brings you here at this hour, Lucius?" Severus was trying desperately to get Lucius away from the door before he had time to scrutinize Aurora further, but the other man was not to be dissuaded.

"Is _that_ the student who attacked Draco?" he asked, incredulous, staring down the corridor after the retreating child. Hoping it was only his astonishment that someone that small could have done the amount of damage she'd done, Severus continued to pull him towards his office.

"Let me get you a cup of coffee." Lucius suddenly straightened his back as he continued to gaze into the hall. "Or perhaps some tea?" Severus offered weakly as Lucius turned to face him, disbelief etched in every line of his face.

"Severus, what is that girl's name?"

"Rinkle," he said.

"No, that can't be right," Lucius mumbled, frowning and looking back down the corridor. "She looks too much like -" He suddenly turned to face Severus, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Certainly you've noticed a resemblance."

"Resemblance, Lucius? To who?"

"Don't play dumb, Severus. She's the spitting image of Marie." He sneered again, "You _do_ remember Marie, I presume?"

"Of course I do," he snapped.

" _Identical_ , really," Lucius mused as he gazed thoughtfully at Severus's face. Severus returned his gaze unblinkingly, trying to figure out how he was going to get out of the conversation. “She didn’t have any siblings, did she?”

"A younger sister, killed two years before Marie’s death," Severus responded, determined not to give him any information he didn't already have.

"Ah, yes," Lucius smirked appreciatively. "Tragic, both of them dying so young. Then there's only one answer, isn't there?" Severus fixed a steely gaze on the other man, wondering whether or not he should deny his next charge. "Why didn't you ever tell me you two had a daughter, Severus?" Severus's hand clenched around his wand, bringing it up before Lucius had a chance to act.

" _Obliviate!_ " Lucius had an odd look on his face, staring at the wall behind Severus's head as if it was in another world. Working quickly, Severus replaced Lucius' memory from the time he'd seen Aurora in the hall to present. Lucius blinked his eyes, then turned to Severus as if he'd just arrived.

"What was it you wanted to see me about, Lucius?" he asked calmly.

"What? Oh, I wanted to speak to you about Draco's punishment." Severus breathed a sigh of relief and settled into the chair behind his desk for the argument he was now only too willing to engage himself in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora walked back to the common room that night, still feeling slightly uncomfortable. Her father had called the man Lucius, and now that she thought about it, he did look like an older version of Draco. Maybe that's why she had felt strange when he looked at her. But what was he doing talking to her father?

She recalled Draco's words from earlier in the year, about how their fathers were friends from way back when, and her father’s own admission that he’d known Lucius for twenty years, and she felt her anger rising again. Was her father going to let Draco squirm his way out of detention just to avoid angering Mr. Malfoy? She was so angry at the thought that she didn't realize where she was going until she had reached the owlery.

"What am I doing here?" she muttered to herself as she turned around to head back to the Ravenclaw tower. As she got to the door, she saw two figures hurrying up the stairs, and as they neared, she saw with a start that it was Basil and Harry. "What are you two doing?" They stopped at the sound of her voice, then sheepishly stepped into the owlery.

"Um, nothing, really," Harry stammered. "Just sending a letter, that's all." She looked down at her watch, then looked back at them, her eyebrow arched.

"At ten-thirty? It's past curfew, why didn't you just wait until morning?"

"It's too important to wait until morning," Basil said quietly. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since they walked in, and she was uncomfortably aware that he seemed to be staring at her bruises again.

"Really? Who is it to?"

"Just a friend," Harry said quickly as he called his snowy owl, Hedwig, down from her roost.

"Why won't you tell me what it's about? And since when have you two been so chummy?" She put her hands on her hips as she waited for an explanation.

"Would you rather have us at each other's throats?" Basil asked with a grin. "Because I'm sure we could manage it."

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just odd, that's all."

"Don't worry so much, Aurora," Harry said as Hedwig flew out the window, the letter securely tied to her leg. "What were _you_ doing up here, anyway?"

"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she explained. "Stop changing the subject. Why all the secrecy, huh?" The boys looked at each other, almost guiltily, she thought, but remained silent. "Fine," she snapped. "Forget I asked. Now, if you two will excuse me, I'm going to bed." She turned on her heel and marched down the stairs, thoroughly agitated that two of her friends were clearly hiding something from her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the days passed, Aurora noticed that Basil and Harry were spending an awful lot of time whispering together when they thought she wasn't paying attention. Basil even declined meeting with her for some more Muggle magic lessons on Saturday, stating that he needed to talk to Harry about something important. She saw them talking in the Entrance Hall shortly after dinner on Monday, and overheard a bit of what they were saying.

"I thought we decided it was for the best," Basil was saying.

"I know it is, but do you think it'll get there? How long should we wait before we try again?"

"If Hedwig -" Basil stopped as he saw Aurora standing by the pillar. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked, a little too quickly.

"Not long," she said, hiding her disappointment that she hadn't heard anything useful. "When are you two going to stop avoiding me?"

"We're not avoiding you, Aurora."

"What do you call it, then? Neither of you has spent more than five minutes with me since Friday night, when I caught you in the owlery. What is going on?" Just as they had in the owlery, they exchanged guilty looks.

"Nothing," Basil stated firmly.

"Don't worry about it," Harry agreed. She threw her hands up in exasperation as she made her way to detention.

She was somewhat gratified when she saw that Draco had not been excused from the remainder of his punishment, though her joy was short-lived. Aurora tried to take her father’s advice to heart, and did her best to avoid any further confrontations, but he made it increasingly difficult over the next four days.

No matter what task their professor assigned, Draco worked so slowly that he may as well not have been there at all. Occasionally her father would notice that he was lagging behind and say something, but more often than not, he allowed Aurora to shoulder the brunt of the work.

With the secret conspiracy between Harry and Basil, the thought of the unfairness of the past week’s detentions with Draco, and her overall lack of decent sleep, she was a tad disgruntled and a bit irritated when she walked into the dungeons for her first solo detention with her father.

Tossing her books onto a table, she immediately laid her wand on his desk. She was surprised to see that there wasn't a scraper on his desk, nor were there any cauldrons waiting to be scrubbed. Crossing her arms, she looked at her father expectantly.

"What am I doing tonight?"

"Feeling a bit testy, are we? If you've grown tired of my company already, I doubt very much that you'll last another three weeks." He stood from his desk and looked down at her. "Follow me." He led her into his office, where baskets littered the floor. Glancing into one, she saw that it was filled with an assortment of plants.

"These," he said, indicating the baskets with a sweep of his arm, "are to be sorted, bottled, and labeled. You will then put them away in their respective cupboards. Begin with those nearest the door." He turned to leave, then stopped and faced her again. "If there is anything you're unsure about, _ask_. An improperly labeled potion ingredient can wreak havoc in an instant. I will be checking in on you from time to time." He swept from the room, and she set in eagerly. Even with her lack of sleep she was able to correctly identify most of the ingredients, and she worked through the baskets quickly.

As she was stacking the next to last basket with the others, she caught a glimpse of something at the bottom of the previous one. Glaringly white against the dark weave of the basket rested an envelope. Her initials seemed to jump at her as she picked it up with trembling hands, stashing it in her robes as she heard her father entering the room behind her. She could tell he was surprised by her progress, and he turned to her with his eyes narrowed.

"You've nearly finished?" he asked as he began examining the bottles she'd already put away. She nodded, turning back to the last basket as she tried to stop her hands from shaking. "You haven't used your book, and your wand is still on my desk," he mused aloud. "I knew that you had an unusual interest in Potions, but this exceeds even my expectations."

He looked at her thoughtfully as she began bottling monkshood. "Do you realize that not many of my _fifth_ year students would have been able to do this? And most of those would have gotten through them this quickly." She looked up at him in surprise.

"So?"

"So, you've been here only two months." He looked down at her again as he leaned against his desk. "Some of these plants are not discussed in your first year books."

"No," she said, still working on the last basket. She hesitated before adding, "but they are in a lot of the books at home."

"I see. I wasn’t aware you were in the habit of taking books from the sitting room without permission.”

“You aren’t in the habit of being there for ten months at a time,” she muttered.

“Enlighten me,” he went on, apparently ignoring her comment. “How is it that with all this interest in Potions, the quality of your work has nonetheless fallen drastically?" She turned to face him, handing him a bottle of nettles.

"That's the last one," she said, ignoring his question. "I've stacked the empty baskets in that corner. If there's nothing else, I'd like to collect my wand and go back to my dormitory now." She wanted to go, curious to see what was in the envelope.

"So you still refuse to tell me what's going on?" he asked, looking down at her. She didn't answer, but continued to stare right back up at him. Sighing, he dismissed her. "Fine, you may go." Aurora went over to his desk to pick up her wand, surprised when he called after her before she got to the door. "Aurora -" she turned back, thinking he was going to give her another task to complete. "You did well tonight."

Had she heard him right?

"Thank you, sir," she said tensely, practically running from the room.

The hallways were dark and deserted as she made her way up from the dungeons. When she reached the main staircase, she looked around quickly to make sure nobody was around, and then withdrew the envelope from her pocket. It seemed to pulse with a strange energy as she looked down at it, and she hesitated before opening it.

As if it could sense her uncertainty, the envelope tore itself from her grasp, ripping open in the process. It hung in midair, projecting an image onto the doors of the Great Hall. Aurora gasped as she realized it was her own house. The image began moving, and it was as though Aurora was standing in the street, walking towards her house.

There was an outstretched hand grasping a wand in front of her, and she knew what was coming as the door swung open to reveal her mother, standing in front of the bookcase.

"No," Aurora whispered softly. The images projected on the door were silent, but she'd had a month of nightmares to provide her with an accurate soundtrack. She watched as her mother spun around from the bookcase, her eyes wide with fear.

Marie mouthed "Severus!", as she reached for her wand, and Aurora saw the hand in front of her, raising the wand to strike. As a burst of green light flew from the tip and struck her mother, she heard screaming, and as the images faded, she realized it was her own voice yelling "NO!" repeatedly. She sank to the floor, sobbing, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching not even registering in her mind. Someone lifted her to her feet, and she flung her arms around their waist, burying her head in their robes, not knowing or caring who it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sat at his desk, looking around in amazement at the dozens of correctly labeled potion ingredients. His daughter certainly was an enigma, that much was certain. He thought he knew why she was scraping by in potions: as she'd proved tonight, she was obviously far more interested in that subject than any of her other classes. A scream coming from the Entrance Hall snapped his attention from the supplies. Aurora had just left - he jumped from his chair and raced towards the main staircase, where he found Aurora on the ground, sobbing. He helped her up, slightly surprised when she buried her head in his robes. Patting her back awkwardly a few times, he disentangled her, and scrutinized her face.

"Aurora, what’s happened? Are you hurt?" She was still sobbing uncontrollably as she pointed towards the Great Hall, and an envelope lying on the floor. He picked it up and walked back to his daughter, frowning when the envelope sealed itself before he could examine its contents.

He knelt in front of Aurora again, brushing a stray hair out of her face as he looked at her. Her eyes were wide with fear, and tears continued rolling unheeded down her cheeks. "Come now," he said softly, wiping her tears with his handkerchief. "Whatever it is, we’ll sort it out." She nodded as he led her to his quarters, concerned that she had still not calmed down in the least.

He directed her to the armchair as he started a fire, then turned to a cupboard in the back of the room. Withdrawing a key from his pocket, he unlocked it, searching through the phials until he came to the Draught of Peace. He hurried back over to where Aurora sat, who stared with horror at the envelope protruding from his pocket. Hastily he shoved it lower, so that it could not be seen, then opened the phial and handed it to her.

"Drink this, quickly," he urged. Her hands were shaking so badly that he thought she would spill it before she got it to her mouth. Putting a steady hand around her own small one, he guided it to her lips, then nodded with satisfaction as her hiccupping sobs slowed and then stopped. He handed her a handkerchief as he put the stopper back in the phial, then looked down at her again.

"What is in that envelope?" She seemed to be debating what to tell him, and he felt his agitation rising. "I could open it and find out for myself." She shook her head vehemently and held out her hand to stop his from going to his pocket.

"I-I can't tell you what's in the envelope yet," she stammered. He sighed in frustration and reached into his pocket, determined that he would get to the bottom of the situation, but she continued hurriedly. "What I meant was that I have to start from the beginning."

She hadn't even begun when there was a hurried knock on the door. Severus got up to answer it, wondering who on earth it would be. When the door swung open, Albus and Minerva hurried in, both looking alarmed.

"Severus, we heard screams, and the ghosts told us-" Minerva stopped as she spotted Aurora sitting by the fire. "What's going on?" she asked quickly.

"Aurora was just about to tell me" he replied, glancing at his daughter again. The three adults settled around Aurora and waited expectantly as she began.

"It started with my first detention," she said, proceeding to tell them everything that had happened, including her nightmares. Severus felt his chest tighten as he listened.

"Why didn't you come to me?” he demanded. “Or write to Malichi - or Steven?"

"I thought the first one was from you, to test me," she replied, not meeting his eyes. "But I know you wouldn't have sent this one, not even with-" she stopped, her eyes flicking up to his.

"Not even with how things are between us?" he finished.

She nodded and looked down at her feet again. He glanced at Minerva, who was giving him a pitying look that nevertheless said 'I-told-you-so'.

"Aurora, how often do you have these nightmares?" Albus asked.

"I started having them right after that first letter, but I've had them every night since my second detention."

"I see. And are you able to sleep after you wake up from these dreams?"

"Not usually, sir."

"How many hours of sleep would you say you get a night?"

"I don't know," she replied, frowning. "I never really kept track."

"If you had to wager a guess," he prompted.

"Three, four at the most." Severus let out an outraged cry.

"No wonder you've been doing poorly in your classes!" She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her mouth turned down in a slight frown.

"Father, I have to know - are the dreams true? Was my mother murdered?" He ought to have expected it, really. It was something he’d tried to keep from her for as long as possible. And now – he let out a sigh that sounded more like a frustrated grunt.

"Yes."

"But why? Who-"

"Perhaps those questions are for another time,” Albus interrupted gently. “You’re long overdue some rest." His gaze went to Severus, and the Potions Master nodded, moving again to the cupboard in the corner and withdrawing another phial before returning and handing it to Aurora.

"Drink this. It will help you sleep."

"But my dreams -"

"This will guarantee that your sleep will be free from dreams. Trust me." She looked at him uncertainly before closing her eyes and swallowing it.

"I'd better get back to the dormitory before it kicks in," she said, her speech already slurred. Before she could even stand, her chin dropped onto her chest, and her breathing became slow and even.

"I'll take her back to her dormitory," Minerva offered, stepping forward. Severus shook his head as he lifted his daughter's sleeping form.

"No, Minerva. I'd prefer she remain here." Albus and Minerva exchanged a look that was not lost on Severus. "I know it's unorthodox," he conceded, nevertheless laying her in his own bed. “But I need to keep an eye on her.”

"What will you tell her friends?" Minerva asked, laying a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Tell them she got ill during detention, and she was taken to the Hospital Wing. Poppy will need to be told – she can refuse any visitors."

"Very well,” Albus allowed. “I will speak with Poppy tonight, but it is clear that we will need to discuss further action in the morning." The two of them left the room, leaving Severus arranging the covers around his daughter.

As he looked down at her, he was struck by how innocent she looked, how _vulnerable_. He bent down and gently swept the hair from her face before settling in the armchair to watch over her.


	18. Calling in the Cavalry

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I will astound you with my famous levitation trick." Steven turned to the back of the stage he was on and raised his wand in preparation for his spell. " _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," he whispered, raising the table into the air.

Turning to once again face the audience, he brought the table into their view, immediately eliciting a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs'. As he was preparing to levitate it over the crowd, a commotion from the wings distracted him, and he saw something white come barreling towards him from the corner of his eye. He faltered, causing the table to fall onto the stage, though he had performed a cushion charm so it did not shatter.

Turning towards the tumult, he saw a large white owl perched on the back of a chair to the right of the curtain. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our show for tonight." He spoke quickly, hurrying over to the beautiful bird. "I don't know you, do I?" he muttered as he pulled a letter from her leg. He frowned at the address on the front:

_Steven Rinkle?_

_Muggle Magic Tour_

_America_

Steven stroked the owl as he wondered how long she'd been flying. She had to have come from Hogwarts, and someone who knew Aurora. It would have taken her at least three days to reach him, and only then if she knew exactly where he'd been.

Holding out his arm, the owl hopped onto it, and he proceeded to his dressing room, ignoring the strange looks the stagehands were giving him. He shut the door, then gave the bird a small dish of water as he opened the letter.

_Mr. Rinkle,_

_We've never met, but we're friends of Aurora's from Hogwarts. She doesn't know we're writing to you, as we were afraid she'd try to talk us out of it, but we thought you should know what's happening. We've been trying to get her to write to you herself, but she keeps saying everything is fine. We can tell everything is **not** fine, and we were hoping you might be able to help her. She's been having dreams every night for a while, where she hears her mother being murdered. She's not sure if they're true or not, and we thought you might know. _

_They're really taking their toll on her: her class work is suffering, and yesterday morning her best friend said she fainted during Potions class. Professor Snape, he's the potions teacher, tried to make her go to the hospital wing, but she refused. Then last night, she got into a fist fight with Draco Malfoy, a first year Slytherin. They're both a bit bruised now. She has to be in detention with Snape for a month! Have you ever met him? He's completely insane, in our opinion. Actually, only in Harry's. We're very worried about her, and hope you can do something to help her out._

_Please don't tell her it was us that wrote to you._

_Thanks,_

_Basil Rosier and Harry Potter_

Steven scanned the letter again, hoping he'd misread it. The letter was dated November first, more than a week ago. Cursing his brother under his breath, he hastily began packing. Brian Appleby, a short, stocky wizard with graying temples and a charming smile, came into the room, looking worried as he saw Steven's trunk.

"What is it, Steven? Not bad news, I hope?"

"Actually, Brian, I need to leave. Now. I don't know when I'll be able to get back."

"Family trouble?" The stout wizard asked.

"Yes. My niece, at Hogwarts. She's having a bit of a rough time, and I've got to go and check on her." The smaller man looked stunned.

"Your niece? Surely her parents -"

"Her mother died when she was a baby, and my brother -" he paused, not really knowing how to explain Severus to someone who didn't know him. "Well, he's probably not being much help. It's important. I have to go."

"But Steven, how can you go now? So many people have looked forward to seeing you perform!" Brian was the head of the touring company, and it had been he who'd sought Steven out when they'd had a vacancy.

"I'm sorry, Brian. I know this is an inconvenience, but I have to go. I would love to come back once this is all sorted out, but as I said, I don't know how long I'll be gone. If you have to replace me, I understand completely. I'll send you an owl as soon as I know anything definite, all right?" Brian nodded sullenly. Steven was halfway out the door before he realized he needed to find a way to get to Hogwarts. "Brian, does the Floo network include the United States?"

"I believe they have a network here, why?"

"Could I use it to travel to Hogwarts, or do I need to get back to London first?"

"I don't see why you couldn't use it from here," he said thoughtfully. "Let me go find the nearest one for you. Have a seat, I'll be right back." Steven sat on his trunk impatiently, wondering how much more trouble Aurora could have gotten herself into in a week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was still sitting in the armchair on Saturday morning when he heard a knock on his door.

"Enter," he called, guessing correctly that it was Albus. Minerva accompanied him once again, and he smiled wanly in greeting. "Good morning, Albus, Minerva. Did you both sleep well?"

"Better than you, obviously," Minerva retorted, taking in his slightly haggard appearance. "Did you sleep at _all_ , Severus?" He shook his head as he stood from the chair and walked over to the table.

"Can I offer either of you a cup of coffee? I know that I will be having another pot.” He poured three mugs, and his visitors accepted them without complaint.

"It seems," Albus began slowly, "that your plans for Aurora's anonymity have not been entirely successful."

"Thank you for your brilliant insight, Albus," Severus replied a little too sharply. Minerva looked shocked at his tone, and Albus himself raised an eyebrow. "I apologize." He ran his hand through his hair. "I am no longer accustomed to this total lack of sleep. “

"How long will Aurora sleep, Severus?" Albus asked.

" She'll wake when her body has decided it has had ample time to rest itself. From what she's told us, she'll undoubtedly sleep the remainder of the day, and most likely a good portion of the next two."

"Then we have no choice but to start this conversation without her."

"First, Severus, you need to decide now what you're going to do about the quidditch game," Minerva said.

"What about quidditch?" Severus asked in confusion.

"The first quidditch game, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, which starts in an hour, Severus," Minerva prodded. "Surely you haven't forgotten?" He shook his head as he realized what she was getting at.

"My child is more important than same damn game," he snapped as he sat back in his chair.

"Some people may make the connection between both your absences. A connection you've tried so hard to prevent them from noticing all term." Albus spoke quietly as he gazed down at the younger man.

"Somebody needs to sit with her, Albus. If she wakes up, she can't be alone."

"You've said yourself she'll sleep through today -"

"Most likely. This potion is not as reliable as I would like."

"Then _I_ will sit with her. Now that's settled, you two should get going before you're missed."

"Severus -" Minerva said hesitantly.

"Yes?" he replied irritably as he walked towards the door.

"It's just, well, your appearance leaves much to be desired." Glancing down, he knew that she was right, but with a wave of his wand, he was presentable again. With a last look at the form of his sleeping daughter, he followed Minerva out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steven stepped out of the fireplace and into his brother's room, thankful that he was once again on solid ground. Using Floo powder was always a bit unpleasant, but traveling across an ocean using it was definitely not something he intended to do again.

Brushing the soot from his robes, he didn't notice the figure standing next to him until Albus cleared his throat. Steven's head snapped up, and he grinned broadly as he recognized the older wizard.

"Dumbledore! What on earth are you doing in here?" His eyes glinted mischievously. "Planting a dungbomb for my unsuspecting brother?" Albus smiled warmly as he shook his head.

"Not today, Steven. I'm afraid Severus has a bit too much on his mind to appreciate a little joke." Steven frowned.

"What exactly does he have on his mind?" Albus stepped aside and gestured to the bed on the far wall where Aurora lay sleeping. Steven walked over to his niece and crouched down beside the bed, taking her hand in his own.

"She looks so peaceful," he whispered. Standing, he turned again to Albus. "What is she doing here?"

"Sleeping," Albus replied, a similar sparkle of humor in his eyes. Steven smiled wryly as he regarded the headmaster.

"Thanks for the clarification." He looked around the room with a puzzled frown. "Where is my brother?"

"He's at the quidditch match."

"Quidditch?" Steven felt a bit annoyed at Severus' obviously skewed priorities. Albus, however, seemed to read his mind.

"He did put up quite a fuss," he explained, "but as it's Slytherin versus Gryffindor, we felt his absence might have caused a few raised eyebrows." Slightly mollified, Steven sank into the armchair by the bed.

"What exactly is going on with Aurora?" Before Albus had a chance to explain further, the door swung open and Severus strode in, looking very agitated. Minerva was close on his heels, looking much happier.

"Albus, you should have been there, Potter -" Minerva stopped short as Steven stood from his chair. "Steven, how wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed. Severus, however, scowled deeper than before.

"Steven. What a -" he paused, "surprise. And what brings you here, uninvited?" Steven smiled smugly as he held out the letter.

"Ah, but I _was_ invited, Severus." Severus snatched the parchment from his brother's hand, his eyes narrowing severely as he reached the end.

"So," he began, "Potter has intruded where he's not wanted. How - irritating."

"It sounded to me as if both the boys are worried about her, Severus," Steven shot back, pocketing the letter. "And if what they wrote is true, they had every reason to be."

"Everything they wrote is true."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

”I was not aware of the details until last evening,” Severus responded smoothly.

"But surely you noticed that her schoolwork was suffering before then, Severus! Why didn't you tell me the moment you knew anything was wrong?"

"She's _my_ daughter, as I have to keep reminding you -"

"I can't believe you!" Steven interrupted angrily. "You would have let her suffer through this, simply because you're jealous of how close she and I are?" Severus's eyes snapped with anger, though he did not deny his brother's accusation.

"I was doing everything I could to discover the source of her problems, Steven. And I notice she didn't volunteer any information to _you_ , either, so stop acting like you would have been able to find anything out sooner." The brothers continued to glare at each other until Albus cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, perhaps we should decide on the proper course of action now, and leave the sibling rivalry for another time?" With one last look of loathing at Severus, Steven turned to Albus expectantly.

"Action? I thought she was simply having nightmares about her mother. It seems to me that the _only_ action is to tell her the truth."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that," Albus explained.

"Her nightmares began because someone sent her a threatening letter," Severus explained coolly. Steven looked at him in shock.

"What did it say?"

"’We know what you are, you cannot hide’."

"What she is? What the hell does that mean?"

"We're not sure," Albus shrugged.

"And we have no idea who sent it?"

"Them, actually, and we hadn't discussed it as yet. _Have_ you any idea who would be sending them, Severus?" Albus inquired.

"Lucius Malfoy nearly stumbled upon her identity last week, but I've taken care of that."

"What did you do?" Minerva asked sharply.

"Nothing serious,. A simple memory charm."

"Are you sure it worked? Knowing Malfoy, he could fake that dazed and confused look all too well," Steven replied archly.

"I'm sure," he snapped. "All Lucius remembers is that he was very agitated when he saw that a girl half his son's size managed to break his nose. In any case, the fact remains that he would have only known for a week - Aurora said she'd gotten the first letter barely two weeks into the start of the term."

"Is there anyone else who knows?"

Severus paused, thinking of the conversation he'd had with Quirrell.

"I believe Quirrell has made the connection," he said darkly. "I don't know how long he's known, and Aurora told me on the day of her second detention that Miss Cafferty is a seer. Those are the only two I am aware of who know her true identity."

"Erin Cafferty? Really?" Minerva looked nonplussed. "I never would have thought she believed all that rubbish."

"It isn't all rubbish," Severus said quietly. "She told Aurora things that I hadn't told her about her past. According to Aurora, she knows quite a bit about her."

"Yes, but she's far too young to be pulling off something like this," Minerva protested.

"I agree with you, Minerva. Only someone adept at the Dark Arts would be able to set the charm which was on the second letter," Severus said.

"Which brings us back to Quirrell," Albus mused. The four adults exchanged worried glances.

"Do you really think it could be Quirinus? He seems a bit, well, scared of his own shadow," Minerva pointed out.

"Perhaps we should keep a closer watch on him," Albus stated. Severus nodded in agreement; he certainly didn't trust the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"How are you going to keep that close an eye on him? Especially when he's teaching?" Steven demanded.

"We'll have to give Aurora something that will enable us to check in on her whenever we need to," Minerva said. "I've got a set of watchers in my quarters, perhaps those would be sufficient?" Albus nodded.

"But we still won't be able to be constantly on guard," Steven pointed out.

" _You_ are not going to be on guard, as you're going to return to your Muggles," Severus said with a smug smile.

"The hell I am! Aurora's in danger, Severus. I am not going to go on about my business, completely oblivious to what's going on here!"

"What are you going to do? Stay at Hogwarts?" Severus laughed dryly. "Perhaps you've forgotten, Steven, but we do resemble one another quite a bit. And I'm sure Aurora's told all her friends about her 'wonderful Uncle Steven'. The minute they see you with her, they'll know the truth."

"I agree with Severus," Albus said, holding up a hand to stop the flow of objections from Steven's mouth. "As much as you may dislike it, we must continue to present an indifferent attitude. However, I feel that you also bring a valid argument. The only solution, as I see it, is to alert more of the staff to the danger she's in."

"If we go shooting off to every teacher in the school, how are we going to be able to find out who's behind it all?" Severus began protesting immediately.

"There are some that we can undoubtedly trust, Severus," Albus said reproachfully. "Filius Flitwick, for one. As he's also Head of Ravenclaw House, he'll be able to alert us as soon as anything suspicious arises. Also, I believe we should alert Pomona and Hagrid immediately. That should cover most of her classes.”

"Then it's settled. Flitwick, Sprout, and Hagrid will be told, but everyone else is to be left in the dark," Severus said firmly. Minerva laughed, causing the three men to look at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping a tear from her eye, "I was just thinking that Pomona will finally get the answers she's been trying to get out of you for ten years. And won't she be surprised to find that there really _is_ another girl in your life!" Severus scowled as Minerva continued laughing.

"I'll get them all assembled, Severus. Minerva, why don't we leave these two to get back to their bickering?" Taking her arm, Albus led her out of Severus' quarters. As soon as the door shut, Severus turned to face his brother once more. Steven, sensing a long "conversation", sat in the armchair and waited.


	19. Revelations

Aurora awoke to the sounds of hushed voices, the darkness of the room broken only by the flickering of the firelight. She listened, straining to hear what the voices were saying, but they stopped almost immediately. The door opened, and Aurora saw the silhouette of Professor Dumbledore as he left the room. She sat up, surprised that she was in her father’s quarters, and not the dormitory.

"You're awake." The voice that came from the darkness startled her enough to make her bolt upright before she realized it was her father. Severus stepped out of the shadows and scrutinized her face. "How do you feel?"

"A lot better, but I'm _starving_!" He smirked as he perched on the edge of her bed.

"I can’t say I’m surprised – you’ve been asleep for seventy-six hours."

" _Seventy-six_? What exactly did you give me?" He shrugged unconcernedly.

"A variation on the basic Dreamless Sleep draught. I've been working on it for quite some time."

"You used me to test a potion?"

He leaned in closer to her. "Tell me - do you feel dizzy? Faint? Nauseous? Are you seeing spots?" She looked at him in horror before it dawned on her that he was joking.

"That's not funny," she said, folding her arms angrily. He shook his head and smirked again before resting his back against the wall.

"I test all my potions on myself before giving them to anyone in a practical situation. Though you _are_ the first person other than myself to have taken it."

"Well, it worked! I didn't dream anything at all, and I have to say that it made a nice change."

"With the dreams you've been having, I can't say I blame you." The awkward silence that followed was broken only by a short, loud, snort from the chair in which Steven was sleeping. Stifling a giggle, Aurora turned back to her father.

"Father, can I ask you something?" Severus closed his eyes, as if the action could shut out her questions.

"You want to know exactly what happened." His voice sounded strained, and through the flickering light, Aurora could see the circles beneath his eyes.

"I've waited eleven years," she said slowly, "it can wait until morning. Go to sleep, Father." He looked at her sharply, but then shook his head.

"I'm not tired, and it's time you knew." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and propping her chin on her hands. "As I told you on Friday evening, your dreams are amazingly accurate. Marie _was_ murdered - by a Death Eater."

"Why did they kill her?" Aurora asked softly.

"Because of me." His words thundered through Aurora as if he'd screamed them.

"You? What could you have done to make them kill _her_? If you made them mad, wouldn't they kill you?"

"That isn't the way the Dark Lord or his followers operated, Aurora. They were very keen on causing pain. He didn't want to kill me, that would be too quick, too merciful. No, this man wanted me to suffer, to lose everything." His voice was barely audible as he paused, staring down at his hands in thought. Then he turned back to his daughter and smiled weakly. "But he didn't succeed completely. He did not know about you."

"But what did you _do_?"

"I -" he looked down at her, suddenly unwilling to confess. "That story is for another time," he muttered. Surprisingly, she didn't push the question any further.

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?" He sighed impatiently as he again gazed at his hands.

"You're a _child_. If I had told you that your mother was murdered by a follower of the darkest wizard of our time, who almost succeeded in killing you as well, it would have given you nightmares."

"Yeah," she said softly, "but I got them anyway, didn't I?" As he stared at her, Severus suddenly had the urge to run from the room.

"Well," he said brusquely, "I'm going to see about breakfast.." Before she had a chance to reply, he was out the door, leaning against it for support once it was closed. Why had he felt the need to escape? It was obvious, of course - he'd been uncomfortable. He should have comforted his daughter, but instead, he had run like a frightened rabbit.

Propelling himself from the door, he began making his way to the kitchens, pondering his actions. _How can I possible comfort her when I'm the reason she needs comforting?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared after her father, a little confused. Maybe she'd scared him off by asking about her mother's murder - it certainly wasn't _her_ favorite topic to discuss. She looked over at the form of her sleeping uncle, then decided to wake him up. Crawling out of the bed, she walked over to his chair and pinched his nose shut. His mouth immediately sprang open, so she climbed onto the arm and closed it as well. After a couple of struggled snorts, he opened his eyes groggily.

"What the -" As his eyes found his niece, his face lit up with relief. "Ra! You're awake!" He pulled her onto his lap and began tickling her until she was laughing so hard that she was crying.

"Stop!" she cried, trying unsuccessfully to fend him off. "I'm going to pee my pants! Stoooop!" He relented, giving her the chance to sit up. She grinned at him, then threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're here, Uncle Steven. Did Father ask you to come?"

"No," Steven said carefully. "In fact, I have to be going this afternoon. I wanted to talk to you before I went back. I haven't seen you in so long!" He gave her another big squeeze before setting her back on the ground and standing up. Stretching his arms over his head, he surveyed the room, then looked back at her with confusion. "Where's your father?"

"He went to get breakfast."

"Good. I'm starving." She giggled and pushed him playfully.

"You weren't awake when he left: he probably won't bring you back any. But don't worry, I'll give you my leftovers." He scooped her up again and swung her around the room.

"I've seen you eat, munchkin. There won't be any leftovers by the time you're done." He made pig noises as he set her on her feet again.

"I eat like a lady, I'll have you know," she argued, feigning outrage. Her arms crossed over her chest and her nose was stuck in the air as she sat on the bed.

"I'll believe that when I see it," he retorted, going to the table to pour a cup of tea. As she was springing from the bed to join him at the table, the door opened, and her father entered, a tray of food levitating behind him.

"I see you didn't waste any time in waking Steven," he said sullenly. "I thought you might, so there's enough here for both of you."

"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Aurora asked, eyeing him warily. Was he still upset about their conversation? She couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like there was something else bothering him.

"No, I will eat breakfast with the rest of the staff." Aurora looked at her watch.

"But that's not for another couple of hours - aren't you hungry?" Again he shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said, as he conjured up a chair. "Aurora, there are a few things we have to discuss before you're allowed to resume your normal routine." She looked up at him expectantly as she tore into her breakfast, swallowing nearly a whole sausage link. Steven grinned and winked at her as he made soft grunting noises. Severus raised an eyebrow as Aurora giggled and punched Steven's arm. "If you two are quite finished, might I proceed?"

"By all means, Severus, " Steven allowed.

"How generous of you. Now, we've told everyone that you fell ill during detention and had to be taken to the hospital wing. If anyone asks, that's where you’ve been. Secondly, we felt the need to discuss your situation with a few of the staff members, and they have agreed to a meeting in my office this afternoon before your detention."

"Wait just a minute," Steven interrupted. "You told me we were telling them all this morning. I've already sent word to Appleby to expect me back this afternoon."

"Some of the teachers were unable to make it before two o'clock, Steven." Steven stood up abruptly, knocking over his cup of tea, causing it to shatter. He had a look of fury that Aurora had only seen on her father. She shrank down into her chair, a bit frightened of the change.

"Why are you trying to keep me from that meeting, Severus?"

"I am not -"

"Stop! We both know that's what's going on! I know these teachers, too. If they have an inkling of what's going on, they'd insist on meeting as early as possible. It had to come from you -"

"Actually, it was my idea," interrupted a voice from the doorway. Steven stared in shock as Dumbledore entered the room.

" Why?" Steven no longer looked furious, but confused. "I don't understand -"

"Steven, we all know you wish to be present at this meeting, but the fact remains that it wouldn't help anyone, least of all Aurora. Your place is back on your tour. It will help keep your mind off what's going on here. In any case, all we will be discussing at the meeting is Aurora's situation and what those of us who will remain here are going to do." Steven slumped back into his seat.

"I need to be there."

"No," Dumbledore said firmly, "You don't. Particularly if you're going to behave like this. The meeting is between Severus and his colleagues. Your presence might be a," he smiled apologetically, "distraction." Aurora looked from her uncle to her father, who had a small smug smile on his lips, though he was avoiding all eyes as he studied his water goblet.

"D-don't worry, Uncle Steven," she stammered as she tentatively placed a hand on his arm. She was still shocked by his outburst. "I'll write to you and let you know what's going on." Severus looked up sharply before turning back to his goblet, but his arrogant smile had been replaced with a scowl.

"Fine," Steven said, forcing a smile at his niece, "I should be getting back, then." He leaned over and hugged his niece, whispering in her ear, "Write to me if anything happens, no matter how trivial you think it is, okay? I don't want to get another letter from your friends after it's too late because you're afraid you'll sound silly." As he stepped into the fire, his words sank in.

"What letter?" she called after him. "Who sent it?" But he'd already vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Aurora had finished her breakfast, Dumbledore escorted her back to Ravenclaw tower. Neither of them spoke until they reached Jonna, and Dumbledore looked down at Aurora through his half-moon spectacles.

"Might I suggest a bath before you head off to your classes?" She grinned as she caught a whiff of herself.

"I guess anyone would be a bit rancid after three days, huh?" He smiled down at her and nodded as she slipped through the doorway and into the common room. With it being only five-thirty in the morning, most of her housemates were still in bed, though there were a few fifth and seventh years who had fallen asleep over their homework.

She crept up the stairs to her dormitory and withdrew a fresh set of clothes from her trunk. Not wanting to wake her friends, she tiptoed back down and made her way to the bathroom. It was completely deserted, and she sank into the tub gratefully, soaking away the three days of stagnant grime.

She looked up in surprise as the door opened, and her friends came in, chattering away. It took them a moment before they noticed Aurora, but when they did, they became silent. Huge smiles appeared on Erin and Kim's faces, but Jamie continued to stare.

"Hello, girls," Aurora called in greeting. Jamie muttered something to the other two before turning and going back through the door. Shrugging, Erin and Kim made their way over to the tub.

"Wow, you look great," Kim pointed out. "What happened to you? When we asked Flitwick, he said you got sick during detention, but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us near the hospital wing."

"Yeah, Basil was about to fake an illness to get up to see you. Ronnie offered to hit him with a jinx so it would seem more convincing, but Harry told him not to." Erin beamed down at her friend. "I'm glad you're doing better, and don't worry - we got all your assignments for you,"

"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "That just brightens my whole day."

"You haven't answered my question," Kim pressured.

"Well, what Flitwick told you is what happened," she began. "I collapsed during detention - probably from lack of sleep - and Snape took me to Madam Pomfrey." She stretched luxuriously as she continued, "She gave me a couple of restoratives, and a sleeping draught. I feel better than I have all month."

"Good," Erin conceded. "Then you won't have any trouble finishing up those assignments." She stood up and looked at Kim conspiratorially. "We do have to warn you, though - since you weren't at Harry’s first quidditch game, you’ll probably get a play-by-play. Gryffindor won. Harry made a spectacular catch - with his mouth. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it during History of Magic. We've got to get going to breakfast. See you there?" Aurora nodded, getting out of the tub once they'd gone.

She pulled on her clean clothes and brushed her teeth before going back to the dormitories. It seemed most people had already gone down to breakfast, leaving the common room virtually empty. Except for one fifth year...

"Look who's back," David said smoothly as he stood from his chair. "What's the matter, Rinkle? Did Malfoy hit you a little too hard on Halloween?"

"Shut up, Davey."

"MY NAME IS-"

"DAVID," she finished for him. "Why don't you just leave me alone? Does it make you feel important to bother people? Trust me, all I see when I look at you is a slimy git who thinks everybody should grovel to him. How did you ever end up in Ravenclaw? You don't have enough brains to blow your way out of a paper sack." He gaped at her in astonishment. "Excuse me, but I need to get to class now." She brushed past him and up to the dormitories, a bit surprised that he hadn't tried to block the stairs.

She grabbed her books and went down to the Hall, smiling and waving at her friends as she walked in. As she sat next to Erin, she couldn't help but notice that Harry and Basil were gulping down their food. In a minute, they were both standing next to her, bombarding her with questions. She finally had to laugh and held up her hands in protest.

"Guys, please! Wait until Ron and Hermione are finished with their food - I hate repeating myself." They instantly grew quiet, and after a moment, Harry left, only to reappear dragging his reluctant friends.

"Now will you tell us what happened?" he asked impatiently. She told them exactly what she'd told Erin and Kim in the bathroom. Then she looked at them strangely as she remembered her uncle's words.

"Which one of you wrote to Steven?" Four hands pointed out the culprits. Basil and Harry looked a bit uneasy.

"Thanks a lot," Harry snapped.

"Hey, better she get mad at you then us," Ron said as Erin took his hand and they began walking to History of Magic. Aurora stood as well, and regarded the boys thoughtfully as Hermione and Kim also started towards class.

"Aurora, we were just worried about you," Basil said softly.

"Don't get mad, okay?" Harry added.

"What did you tell him?" Aurora asked.

"That you'd been having nightmares about your Mum," Harry explained. "We thought he might be able to tell you if they're true or not."

"They are," she whispered as she followed her friends.

"He wrote you back?"

"No," she said, frowning. "He came to the hospital wing to see me. Your letter had him so upset that he left the tour to check on me." Basil looked petrified.

"They let him go back, though, right? We didn't get him kicked off, did we?"

"No, you didn't." She looked at them again. "Thanks, guys, for caring." The boys looked shocked at her reply.

"You - you're not mad at us?" Harry spluttered. She shook her head.

"Nah, it was kinda sweet." She continued up the stairs, leaving the two boys staring after her in shock.


	20. Plan of Action

Aurora continued up the stairs, fully aware that she'd left the boys stunned at the bottom. Sometimes, going against everyone's expectations was worth their reactions. She couldn't help grinning as she took her seat next to Erin in History of Magic, noticing that Erin was looking at her warily.

"So," Kim piped up from the seat behind her, "how'd it go?" Ron turned around in his seat to stare at the trio with interest.

"How'd what go?" Aurora asked innocently as she brought out a quill and a bit of parchment.

"You are _so_ aggravating sometimes," Kim complained. "You know what we mean - what did they do when you blew up at them?"

"I didn't," she replied simply. The three of them stared at her in amazement, their gazes shifting from her abruptly as Harry hurried over to take his seat next to Ron.

"Harry, tell us what happened," Ron demanded.

"Yeah, Aurora's trying to tell us she didn't get mad at you," Kim said, "I think we all know her too well to believe _that._ " Harry grinned at them.

"She didn't," he said as he too withdrew a quill and parchment. Their mouths dropped open in disbelief as they studied first his face, then hers again.

"No way," breathed Kim.

"You would have ranted at _us_ ," Erin said, a bit disappointed.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "We were looking forward to hearing about a good arse-chewing."

" _Ronnie!"_ Erin scolded. "Don't use that language!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, then," Aurora said calmly as she prepared to take notes on whatever subject Professor Binns was planning on babbling about. The group once again grew quiet as Jamie entered just as the bell rang. She didn't say a word to anyone, and avoided their eyes as she sat next to Kim, the only empty chair in the now-crowded classroom.

Aurora sighed as Kim leaned forward. "Do you think she'll ever start talking to me again?" Aurora asked.

"Eventually," Erin said reassuringly. "She's still upset right now, give her a bit of time."

Kim glanced over her shoulder at her friend as Professor Binns began droning on about the Goblin Raids of 1216.

"I think she's just too stubborn to admit that you had every right to bash the little snot's face in," she said, a little too loudly. Jamie's back stiffened, but she did not otherwise acknowledge the comment as she furiously scribbled notes onto her parchment. After class ended, Jamie immediately jumped from her seat and headed towards Charms. By the time the rest of the group left the classroom, she was out of sight.

"I just don't get her," Kim exclaimed for what seemed like the thousandth time. " _What_ is it about Doofus that makes her choose him over us?"

"Like Erin said earlier, I think she's just upset right now - it'll work itself out," Harry offered.

"We'll see you guys in the library this afternoon," Erin said. "Bye, Ronnie!" Ron blushed, as he always did when she called him Ronnie, then mumbled goodbye in return before rushing away with Harry. The trio of Ravenclaws made their way towards Charms, nearly running into Basil on the way.

"Hey all," he greeted. His smile faded as he saw the glum looks on their faces. "What's wrong?"

"Jamie," Aurora said simply.

"Ah."

A silence fell over the group as they entered the classroom. Seeing Jamie smiling and talking animatedly to Draco did nothing to ease any of their apprehension, and as the group took their seats, they overheard part of the duo's conversation.

"I can't wait to see the look on her face when we tell her," Draco sneered.

"I'm not sure, Draco. She probably won't care, anyway." Jamie looked as though she was forcing herself to smile, but as she spotted her dormmates, the smile faltered, and she pulled Draco to their seats.

As Professor Flitwick began the class, Aurora had the eerie feeling that someone was staring at her. Sure enough, when she turned around she saw Draco glaring at her - he could glare properly now, as his eye had completely healed - with a smug smile of satisfaction. Frowning, she turned around, wondering what he was so happy about.

Aurora tried to ignore the tingling on the back of her neck for the duration of the class, but it irritated her to the point that when the bell rang, she noticed she hadn't taken a single pertinent note on the practical uses of levitation. Tossing her books back into her bag, she prepared to leave, only to have Draco appear in front of her.

Remembering her father's admonishment to keep confrontations to a minimum, she pushed past him, but came face-to-face with Crabbe. Her friends started to gather around her protectively, but she waved them back. Turning around to face Draco, she crossed her arms over her chest and met his glare with one equally as intense.

"What?" she demanded irritably.

"Just wanted to tell you that Basil isn't the perfect little friend you think he is," Draco said smoothly, the smug smile still present on his face. Aurora spotted Basil's face over Draco's shoulder - he looked worried.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked archly.

"He went behind your back to write to that muggle-lover," he said triumphantly.

"If that is all, Doofus," she said coolly, "he's already told me." Draco's face fell slightly, but then his eyes lit up maliciously.

"Actually, there _is_ something else -" He didn't get a chance to elaborate as Professor Flitwick had noticed the group still hanging around and was hurrying over.

"What's all this about, children?" he squeaked as he approached them.

"Nothing, Professor," Draco said innocently. "We were just having a friendly chat." With a last sneer at Aurora, he pushed by her, Crabbe, Goyle, and Jamie at his heels. Aurora’s friends gathered around her as Professor Flitwick walked away. They left the classroom to head down to lunch, and Aurora noticed that Basil was even more quiet than usual.

"Basil, what would Doofus have told me about you that might upset me?"

"What?" He shifted his attention back to her - apparently, his mind had been preoccupied.

"I asked you what Malfoy thought would upset me about you."

"Oh, I don't know," he said quickly. Aurora narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Are you sure? Because I'd rather hear it from you, okay?" He nodded, but didn't offer any further explanation. He headed off towards the Slytherin table as they reached the Hall, and the girls headed for the Ravenclaw table.

"You think it's something serious?" Kim asked Erin worriedly as they took their seats. "I mean, like he likes to torture small animals or something?" Erin glanced over at Basil, who had sat with his back to them.

"Basil is exactly who he appears to be," she said firmly. "There's nothing Malfoy will tell us that will change _that_." The other two girls looked at her in confusion.

"But what was Malfoy going to say about him, then?" Erin shook her head and made no further comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus looked up as Aurora entered the classroom, surprised that she'd arrived before any of the staff members. She was too, apparently, as she was looking around the room, frowning.

"Where is everyone?" she asked as she laid her bag on a desk.

"They'll be here shortly," he replied. "You're early for once." She nodded as she sat at the desk and pulled out her Herbology book.

"I thought I could get started on making up yesterday's assignments. It was a bit too distracting in the library."

"Oh? I remember Madam Pince being overly strict on talking in the library."

"She is, but whispering is normally all right. My friends were so excited that I could string together intelligible words for the first time in a month that they weren't giving me a chance to get any work done." A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he turned back to the papers he was grading. "What was that for?" she demanded as she stared up at him.

"I suppose Mr. Potter was regaling you with tales of his victory this past weekend?"

"Well, he only repeated it play-by-play to me three times before I decided to come down here," she admitted with a smile.

"You seem to be getting on quite well with Potter - and Rosier, for that matter - aren't you?"

"Don't you start, too," she said in exasperation.

"Start what?" he asked innocently.

"Basil is my _friend_. That's all. Can I please get started on my homework now?"

"Certainly," he acquiesced as he, too, turned back to his papers. "It seems to me that Rosier and Potter showed a bit more than friendly concern by writing to Steven," he said, not glancing up. From the corner of his eye, he saw her throw down her quill.

"You're as bad as they are! Can we please not have this conversation?" She was spared further taunting by the entrance of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, followed closely by Hagrid.

"Good evening, Severus, Aurora. Are you normally here twenty minutes before your detention is scheduled to begin?" Aurora rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but Severus cut in before she could utter a word.

"She was finding her friends', er, enthusiasm a little irritating, Headmaster. She came down early to start on her homework assignments."

"Not that I've gotten much farther down here," Aurora muttered, eliciting a smile from the headmaster. Professors Flitwick and Sprout entered, looking around the room with curiosity.

"Well, Severus, it seems that we are all here now. Why don't we adjourn to your office? I believe it will afford more privacy. Aurora, if care to stay out here, you will no doubt have a chance to finish your assignments," Albus suggested. Aurora looked thoroughly insulted as she stood from her chair.

"I will _not_!" Severus shot her a stern look, although he doubted it would do much good. Aurora should know better than to talk back to the headmaster in that fashion. As predicted, she ignored him as she continued to glare at Albus defiantly. "It's me you're going to be talking about in there, isn't it?" The professors' stares went from the child's face to Albus’ expectantly.

"Yes, Aurora, you are the topic of our discussion tonight."

"Then why do I have to stay out here?"

"Aurora," Severus said sharply, "Professor Dumbledore is your headmaster. Address him with the respect he deserves." She glared back at him for a minute, then turned again to Albus.

"Then why do I have to stay out here, _sir_?"

"I merely thought you'd want to finish up your homework, Aurora. If I was mistaken, I apologize. By all means, if you wish to be present, you may."

"Thank you, sir." She gathered up her books and strode into Severus's office, followed by the group of teachers, who all looked highly amused.

"Well, she's certainly got that delightful Snape temper," Sprout muttered as she breezed past him. Knowing that hers would probably not be the last comment along those same lines, he gritted his teeth as he brought up the rear of the group, closing the door as he entered the office.

"You are all aware, of course, of Aurora's paternity at this point," Dumbledore began. The headmaster was standing next to Severus's desk, behind the chair in which Aurora was seated. Severus made his way over to his desk, taking his position behind it as he addressed the group.

"I know you're all anxious to know exactly why you're here, so I'll get right to it. As all of you - Hagrid excepted - have had Aurora in your classes, you have undoubtedly noticed the drastic decline in her marks." Severus paused and took a deep breath, not certain he could maintain his steady tone as he discussed the issue.

"Although Severus has attempted to keep Aurora's identity a secret, someone has discovered the truth." Albus continued to relay the events of the term to the group calmly. Severus felt a spark of hope as he saw the outrage appear on his colleagues’ faces.

"Do you have any ideas who is behind the letters?' Flitwick squeaked, looking between Severus and Albus.

"Nothing definite, Filius -"

"We have a number of reasons to suspect Quirrell," Severus interrupted.

"Quirinus _is_ the only one we are aware of who has made the connection between Severus and Aurora," Albus explained patiently as he shot Severus a reproachful look.

"And he definitely has enough knowledge of the Dark Arts to have created that second letter," mused Sprout. Severus nodded emphatically.

"Precisely. We have asked you here to obtain your help."

"Severus Snape is asking us for _help_?" Sprout scoffed. "This _is_ serious." Severus glared at her, not at all amused.

"I'm glad that you find my daughter's predicament amusing, Pomona," he snapped, "but if you aren't going to help keep an eye on her then you can bloody well get the hell out."

"Now _that's_ more like Severus," she muttered to Hagrid, though she remained in her seat.

"Excuse me, Professors," all eyes turned to Hagrid as the huge man spoke for the first time, "but why were you keeping Aurora's identity a secret to begin with?" Severus glanced at Aurora before he began - she looked as curious as Hagrid.

"I feared that the Dark Lord’s supporters would try to finish the job that was started with her mother," he explained, noticing with alarm that Aurora's eyes had grown wide with fear.

"You don't honestly think Quirinus is a Death Eater, do you, Severus?"

"I have no proof one way or the other, Filius. I am merely stating the reason I wanted to keep Aurora's anonymity intact. For that same reason, I must ask you all not to breathe a word of what has been said in this room to anyone who is not present. If you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, report it to Albus or Minerva."

"Wouldn't we come to you first?" Hagrid asked, wearing a befuddled expression.

"On no account are you to come directly to me with any information," Severus said emphatically. "For appearances' sake if nothing else."

"What about Quirinus?" Flitwick asked. "How do we monitor his actions around Aurora? Particularly during class?"

"I'm not blind, you know," Aurora said from her chair. The adults turned to look at her, a bit startled that she'd spoken.

"What do you mean, dear?" Minerva asked.

"You're all acting like I won't notice anything weird."

"And judging from your record this term, you’d of course report it straight away," Severus said sharply.

"That was before I knew – why have you never told me that the Death Eaters might try to find me? And why would Professor Quirrell send those letters, anyway? How would _he_ know how Mum died? How -" her words were coming quickly, her breaths shallow.

"Enough." Severus came from around his desk and knelt in front of his daughter, trying in vain to ignore the tears he saw her struggling to suppress. Her eyes were wide, and she was nervously picking at the arms of her chair. "Take a deep breath," he instructed quietly, uncomfortably aware of the fact that every pair of eyes were on them. She inhaled, her breath rattling in her throat as she choked back her sobs. After a few minutes, she had calmed down visibly.

"Better?" She nodded sullenly as she stared at him accusingly.

"After I told you about my dreams, why didn't you tell me about this? This is important stuff, you know."

"I know,” he responded quietly, though he made no effort to further explain himself as he stood again.

"This is total crap!" The other adults looked shocked at the tone she was taking. "You've always got lame excuses for not telling me things. I think with what's been happening to me that I deserve some answers!"

"For instance?" Severus asked coldly, forgetting the other people in the room.

"Why was Mum killed?" He looked at his feet in frustration. She was right - she deserved the truth. But - Merlin help him - he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

"That's the one question I cannot answer just now," he said, studying her face. She crossed her arms angrily across her chest.

"We have already devised a plan on how to monitor Aurora during Quirrell's class. Minerva, would you like to explain?" Severus asked, turning back to face his colleagues. Minerva nodded curtly, a glint of anger in her eyes. She approached Aurora, giving her a reassuring smile as she held out a chain with a brilliant emerald stone. Aurora accepted it, frowning in confusion.

"This is a Watcher."

Filius let out a squeal of delight. Minerva shot him an irritated glare.

"As long as you wear it, your father will be able to check in on you."

"How does it work?" Aurora asked, turning the stone over in her hand. "Does it have a charm on it?"

"Exactly! These are very rare, Minerva! How on Earth did you come by them?" Filius had risen from his chair to stand by Aurora, and was examining the stone with great interest.

"The set has been passed down in my family for generations," Minerva replied, taking the necklace from his hands and giving it back to Aurora. "Your father has the Looker, which enables him to see what that stone sees."

"Is it always active?" Aurora asked. "Or do I have to do something special for it to work?"

"All you need do is wear it," she explained. "Severus knows how to operate the Looker, so all you need to do is make sure you wear this wherever you go."

"How will I explain where it came from?"

"Tell your friends that Steven gave it to you," Severus said bitterly, ignoring another reproachful look from both Minerva and Albus.

"We must also stipulate that you are not to go anywhere alone, Aurora. Stick by your friends no matter what," Albus said as Aurora slipped the chain over her head.

"What if I'm taking a bath?" she asked seriously.

"Take at least one of your friends with you," Severus instructed, "As long as it's not Potter or Rosier," he added mischievously. Aurora gaped at him, as did the other adults. Minerva raised her eyebrow in question, but Dumbledore winked at him.

"That's so – so -" Aurora stuttered, her face turning red as she avoided the stares of the adults.

"Just make sure you don't do anything alone, Aurora." Minerva instructed. Aurora nodded, still studying her hands.

"Wonderful," Albus exclaimed. "Now that we all know what we're to do, I'll let you get back to your work. Remember all - constant vigilance!" The trio of staff members nodded as they filed out the door. Hagrid hesitated, then turned back to address Aurora.

"Er, if you ever need a friendly face, pop 'round my hut for a cup of tea, all right?" She looked up in surprise, but nodded her assent. Hagrid smiled, then followed the others out the door, leaving Aurora with Albus, Severus, and Minerva.

"Well, I think that went rather well," Albus said cheerfully, "I have no doubt that we can count on those three for support.” Severus nodded, noticing with discomfort that Minerva was glaring at him.

"Are you going to tell me what I've done to upset you, Minerva?" She glanced at Aurora before shaking her head. Muttering something about him being impossible, she left the room. Severus turned to Albus for answers, but the headmaster simply shrugged.

"I believe we'll let you get back to your detention as planned, Severus. Aurora, I hope he lets you out in time to finish your assignments. Have a good evening." Severus stared after the headmaster before turning once again to his daughter.

"That was _so_ embarrassing."

He waved his hand dismissively. "You'll live. Now, would you like to see what you're doing for your detention tonight?"

"Working on my assignments?" she asked hopefully.

”This is a detention, Aurora, not a study period.” He gestured to the corner, smirking with satisfaction as her jaw dropped open.


	21. Detentions Can't be Fun, Can They?

Aurora stared at the cauldron in the corner of her father’s office, immediately thinking she was going to have to scrub it. The thing was enormous - at least six feet in diameter - though it was only half as tall. Nevertheless, she'd have to actually get inside it to clean it. Her arms began to ache at the mere thought of manually polishing it, and she rubbed them absently.

"This certainly wasn’t the reaction I expected. I thought you’d be pleased to be working on a potion."

Aurora frowned. Potion? She glanced at him before looking back at the cauldron. On closer inspection, she could see the faint wisps of smoke rising from the surface. Mentally smacking herself, she now also noticed the fire burning away underneath the thing.

"Sorry, just a bit flustered, I guess," she apologized as she stood on tiptoe to peer inside. The liquid contained within was almost neon orange, and gave off an unmistakable odor of rotten eggs. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she turned back to her father. "What is it?"

"That," he replied as he joined her by the bubbling brew, "is the sleeping potion that you will be able to ingest on a nightly basis."

"I've got to drink _that_?" She looked inside the cauldron again, then shook her head in defiance. "I'd much rather take the stuff you gave me on Friday. I'm not putting anything that smells like that in my mouth, thank you."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said testily. "When it's been completed, I'm sure you'll have a different attitude." He withdrew a key from his robes and unlocked an intricately carved cabinet that extended from the floor to well above even his head. Opening the door, he pulled down a tattered book. Before he flipped it open, Aurora saw the words _Unusual Sleeping Draughts of the Fourteenth Century._ Fourteenth century?

"Father -"

"Hmm?" Severus was flipping through the pages intently, muttering under his breath. "I just used it this morning."

" _Father!_ " He looked up when she raised her voice, his eyes snapping with impatience.

"What?"

"Shouldn't we be trying something a bit more - modern?" she asked, pointing to the book's title.

"The age of the book has nothing to do with its usefulness. This sleeping draught – with my improvements - is one of the safest and most reliable for daily use." He turned back to the book. "Ah, here it is," he announced, handing it to her. "There are your ingredients and instructions. All of the supplies are in that cabinet." He pointed to another cupboard behind her. "Finish preparing it. It has brewed for nearly eighty hours now - pick it up with the addition of the boomslang skin." She nodded eagerly as she perused the list of ingredients, and then retrieved them from the cupboard.

"Shredded boomslang skin, crushed beetle wings, powdered root of asphodel, boiled nettles - I think that's all that's left," she muttered to herself as she rechecked the remaining directions against the ingredients she'd acquired. She paid careful attention to the spiky scrawl between the printed lines that she recognized as her father’s. Nodding with satisfaction, she prepared her supplies as instructed, then pulled up the chair she'd been sitting in during the meeting with the staff members.

Placing her phials of ingredients on the chair, she read the directions a third time, then began to add them in the proper order. All of the tension she'd felt during the meeting of her teachers drifted away as she fell into the rhythm of the work. Her father leaned idly against the wall, but she knew he was observing her every move, knew he would point out the smallest mistake in an instant.

As she sifted in the crushed beetle wings, the draught began to take on the slightest purple tinge. It was very odd, seeing a purple swirl amidst the bright orange of the majority of the brew. It wasn't until she added the nettles that the smell abated, leaving behind a slightly sweet aroma akin to freshly baked bread. Aurora looked up at her father as she finished the last line of instruction, and he nodded his approval as he withdrew a large glass bottle from the same cupboard in which he'd kept the book. He dipped it into the finished potion, somehow transferring the entire contents. Putting the stopper in, he handed it to her, then nodded with satisfaction as they watched the potion swirling inside the vessel.

"It's beautiful," Aurora whispered, as the purple chased the orange, neither one _quite_ blending with the other.

"It's meant to do that," he said approvingly. " Now, I want you to scrub out the cauldron-" Ugh! She should have known she'd have to do it eventually! "although you are being permitted to use your wand."

"Huh?" She put her finger in her ear and wiggled it around, sure she'd heard wrong.

"I said, you may use your wand to clean up. I want you to write a paper, and I want you to use this book." He handed her the book she'd used for the potion. "You will need to take notes from it, as I will _not_ permit you to take it from my classroom." He pulled out his pocket watch. "You'll have two hours - I want four feet on the misconception of 'newer is obviously better' when it comes to sleeping potions. Use examples from that book."

She smiled and set the book on the chair as she waved her wand at the cauldron.

" _Scourgify!"_ Pink bubbles appeared in the bottom and began furiously scrubbing as she settled herself comfortably on the floor, her back against the wall, and began flipping through the book with interest. She looked up as her father cleared his throat.

"Quill and parchment might be useful, don't you think?" Her face was tinged with red as she nodded and headed out to the bag at her desk.

At the end of the first hour, she felt she'd taken enough notes to do her paper, and closed the book reluctantly. It would have been nice to analyze those a bit more. Some of them were _very_ interesting. There had even been one utilizing unicorn blood, though the author of the book had suggested the blood of a mule as a less potent - but a bit more legal - substitute. She focused on her paper, glancing occasionally at her notes, and was surprised when her father approached her again.

"It's nearly nine o'clock, Aurora. You should be getting back to your dormitory now." She looked up at him in surprise.

"It doesn't feel like I've been here for that long," she protested, but as she looked at her own watch, she saw that he was correct. "All right," she conceded, "let me just finish this last bit up before I go."

"Don't dawdle. I don't want you out past curfew." She hastily finished up the paragraph she had been working on, then put the stopper in her ink and stood up, holding the paper out for her father to take. He looked at her with a raised brow. "What's this?"

"My finished paper," she explained, glancing at the cauldron to make sure it was clean. As she turned to place the book back on his desk, a glint of gold caught her eye. Examining the cauldron again, she saw a gold plaque, almost hidden against the wall, which read ' _To Severus: I hope it’s large enough! Love always, Marie’_. She glanced up at her father, who was scrutinizing her paper, and decided to say nothing.

As she returned to the desk and began putting her supplies away, her father appeared in the doorway to his office, still reading her paper. She waited patiently for him to finish, then suppressed a grin as he looked up at her sharply.

"Where are your notes?" She dug them out of her bag and handed them to him. He looked from one bit of parchment to the other, an incredulous expression on his face. He looked back at her as he rolled the two up together, secured them with a flick of his wrist, then stuck them in his robes.

She struggled to keep up with his long stride as he abruptly led the way back to the Ravenclaw tower. Finally, gasping for breath and nearly losing sight of him, she stopped. He must have noticed that she was no longer following him, as he turned around, crossed his arms and glared at her.

"You've got to slow down, Fa-Professor Snape," she said as she hurried over. That would have been great - someone in the hall overhearing her call him father.

"Perhaps you need to speed up, Miss Rinkle." His voice had resumed its icy tone.

"Easy enough for you to say! You've got those long legs, whereas I'm stuck with these stubs, and lugging this bottle _and_ my bag." She saw him struggling not to further reprimand her as he began walking again, albeit a bit more in step with her own short strides. As they approached Jonna, he stopped, then pulled her aside, behind a tapestry of Merlin which hid a secret passage.

"Aurora, how did you find that assignment?"

"What do you mean? You gave it to me, I didn't find it anywhere." He looked at her in exasperation.

"Did you think it was easy or difficult?"

"Well, it sounded difficult at first, but once I read that book -"

"You read the _entire_ book?"

"Well, not in-depth, but I skimmed through it and focused on what I needed." Why did he looked so surprised?

"In _two hours_?"

"No," she said, feeling defensive, but not knowing why she should. "In one hour. Then I wrote the paper in another hour. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he said as he crossed his arms across his chest and scrutinized her face, "it's just - _surprising_. You wrote six feet in an hour?"

"Yes," she said slowly, not sure why he wasn't understanding this simple fact. He straightened his frame, then suddenly shook his head in disbelief.

"Your paper was excellent - N.E.W.T. level, at least. I'm not just saying that because you're my daughter, mind-"

"I would never think you would," she replied.

He stopped shaking his head, then crossed his arms and analyzed her face again. "Why do you do so well in Potions?"

"I dunno, I just - I guess I just find the whole subject fascinating, that's all." The answer didn't seem to satisfy him, and he frowned as he continued.

"But why is it that when all of your other grades were suffering, you felt the need to maintain a passing grade in _my_ class?" She fidgeted uncomfortably in the confined space - wasn't it obvious to him?

"Why didn't you tell me that the cauldron I was using tonight was a gift from Mum?" she finally shot back. He regarded her intently for a minute.

"Touché," he said softly. Pulling aside the tapestry, he walked into the corridor to the Ravenclaw common room. After pausing for just a moment, she followed him. Neither of them said a word as they reached the guardian.

"Blood-sucking Bugbear," Aurora stated, pausing after Jonna had stepped aside.

"That's a pleasant password," Severus observed dryly.

"Yeah, well, I don't pick them," she said sharply. Calling him out about the cauldron had seemed like a good idea - she had hoped it would lead to more information on her mother. Evidently, she'd been wrong.

"Good night, Aurora."

"Good night, Professor Snape," she replied as she entered the common room.

It was crowded, many of the students in various stages of doing homework. Spotting Kim and Erin in the corner, she headed towards them. They smiled in greeting as she sat down and pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

"How was detention?"

"Actually, I got to help with this sleeping draught," she said, indicating the bottle she'd set on the table. The swirls of color had slowed considerably, but they were nevertheless still entrancing.

"Snapey's going soft," Kim said in astonishment as she gazed into the bottle. "Probably thought if he pushed you _too_ hard, you'd faint again. Doesn't want to have to deal with _that_ every night, does he?"

"Yeah, that's probably what it was," Aurora agreed, rolling her eyes so that only Erin could see. She saw her friend laughing behind her hand, stopping abruptly as Jamie appeared at the table. Aurora tried to hide her astonishment and smiled at her, but Jamie only pointed at the bottle.

"What's that?"

"A sleeping potion that Professor Snape gave her," Kim said coolly. Jamie's eyes narrowed at Kim's tone.

"I was only asking, there's no reason to get an attitude," she said as she turned away and went up to the dormitory. Kim shook her head and gaped at her friends.

"She thinks _I_ have an attitude problem?" she asked, obviously shocked.

"Well, you are a bit of a prat sometimes," Erin said seriously. Aurora and Erin burst out laughing, and Kim joined in after realizing that she'd been joking.

"At least I'm an _honest_ prat," Kim stated earnestly. Aurora grinned as she turned back to her work. At least her friends could always be counted on to cheer her up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're taking something _Snape_ gave you?" Ron asked incredulously the next afternoon as the group sat in the library.

"For heaven's sake, Ronnie, _she_ brewed it all, didn't you, Aurora?" Though Erin sounded exasperated, Aurora could tell she was loving the fact that their friends all thought her father was a fiend capable of anything.

"Not really. I just finished it up last night. He said it had been brewing for eighty hours," she said nonchalantly as she took notes from _Defending Yourself against Demonic Beasts_ for her Defense against the Dark Arts assignment on mackled malaclaws.

"Aurora!" Harry was now looking extremely agitated. He exchanged a look with Ron and Hermione that was not lost on Aurora. "I wouldn't accept anything from Snape. Who knows what he could have done to it?"

She laid down her quill with deliberate calmness and gave Harry and Ron a glare worthy of her father.

"Honestly, you two! It did what it was supposed to, didn't it? I mean, I didn't change into a huge spider or anything, did I?" Ron gave an involuntary shudder at the mention of spiders, but still did not give up.

"What if the effects are gradual? Like it slowly eats away your brain or something?" Aurora rolled her eyes in exasperation as Basil came to her father’s defense.

"He's a teacher, Ron. You don't think he'd do something to hurt a student, do you?" The three Gryffindors exchanged uncomfortable looks again. And this time, Aurora wasn't the only one who noticed.

"All right, you three, what's with the looks?" Kim demanded.

"Wh-what looks?" Harry stammered unconvincingly.

"The co-conspiratorial looks you've all been shooting each other since we started talking about Snape," Erin clarified.

"Let's just say that some of us have our doubts about Snape's character," Ron said, avoiding their eyes.

"This doesn't have anything to do with that stupid accusation you made after the quidditch game, does it, Harry?" Erin's eyes were narrowed dangerously as she studied Harry's face, which was reddening more and more by the minute.

"Just drop it," Harry muttered, giving Ron and Hermione warning glances.

"Look, all we're saying is maybe you should have it tested first," Ron implored. "Who knows what Snape could have done to it in four days?"

"Ron, how do you sleep at night with all these 'what ifs' bouncing around in your head?" Kim asked, sneaking a look at Aurora's notes.

"Here, I'm done with it. Take your own notes," Aurora said irritably, placing the book in front of her friend. She got up to search for a book for her Herbology assignment, noticing from the corner of her eye that Erin had slapped Ron upside the head.

"You almost told her, Ronnie! _I_ already told you that you guys are wrong about Snape. What’s the point in getting her more worried?" she heard Erin hiss. What it was that the boys wanted she did not overhear, because at the exact moment she disappeared around the corner, she heard Draco's nasal drawl.

"Oh look, Crabbe. Rosier's pretending he's just like all of _them_. Touching, isn't it?" Aurora peered around the edge of the bookshelf, spotting Draco, his cronies, and Jamie immediately in front of her. "Where's Rinkle? Thought we might enlighten her as to the history of the proud Rosier family." Aurora saw Basil visibly tense and wondered again what Draco was planning.

"She's already gone down to detention," Harry quickly lied, glancing nervously at the spot where Aurora stood.

"Oh really? Then why is her bag still here?" Jamie asked haughtily.

"We're taking it back to the dorm for her," Kim said angrily, glaring at her friend. "She doesn't really need books for detention, now does she?" If it hadn't been for the fact that her friends would feel and look like idiots, Aurora would have marched right up to Draco and asked him exactly what he had on his mind. As it was, she stayed hidden behind the bookshelf, bristling at the insults he was throwing around.

"Doesn't matter," Draco sneered, "I'll find her eventually." He looked pointedly at Basil before sauntering out of the library with Crabbe and Goyle. Jamie hung back for a moment, then spoke to Basil too quietly for Aurora to hear. Whatever she said made his face pale, but he nodded and looked at Jamie thankfully as she followed the two Slytherins.

"What'd she say to you?" Aurora whispered as she sat back down.

"A bit of advice, that's all. Aurora, can we talk?"

"Sure," she said, guessing he wanted to tell her what Draco was holding over his head. "We can talk as you walk me to detention. Come on, I can't be late. Do me a favor, guys, and try not to come up with any more theories on how Snape is going to terrorize me with bizarre potions, okay?"

She gathered up her books and followed Basil through the doorway. He was silent for quite a while, but as they approached the dungeons, he stopped and turned to face her. She could tell he was struggling with something, and she was anxious to hear what he had to say. "What is it you wanted to tell me, Basil?" she prompted. He looked nervously down at his hands before meeting her eyes.

"Aurora, I didn't want you to know, but with Draco threatening it -" he took a deep breath, "my grandfather's a Death Eater." She instinctively recoiled from his words. "My whole family, really. But that doesn't mean I am," he hastily added as he noticed the revulsion on her face. "I'm still me, I just - well, that's what I meant when I said Draco knew things about my family. That's the big secret." She stared at him in shock. "Say something, Aurora, please."

"I-I don't think I'll be able to keep teaching you Muggle magic," she said quickly. She tried to push past him to get to her father’s classroom, but he took hold of her arm.

"Aurora -"

"You don't understand," she said, her voice rising, "my mother was murdered by a Death Eater! They're still after me!" She wrenched her arm from his grasp and turned towards the door, running headlong into her father.


	22. It's Personal

Severus looked from one student to the other, disturbed by the obvious tension between them. "What's going on?" he asked, scrutinizing his daughter's face.

"N-nothing, Professor Snape," she replied softly. She lowered her eyes to her hands as he narrowed his own in disbelief. 

"Really?" he questioned scathingly. "I distinctly heard your voice from inside my classroom, Miss Rinkle, and it did _not_ sound as though you two were merely having a friendly little chat." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the two children accusingly, hoping the look would pry _some_ information from them.

"I was just-"

"Waving a huge spider in my face," Aurora quickly interrupted. "It was gross, and I told Basil off. That's why I was so loud. Sorry, Professor." Severus looked at Basil thoughtfully – it was obvious his daughter was lying.

"Miss Rinkle, have a seat in my office. I'll be in momentarily to begin your detention." Aurora obeyed, not glancing back at either of them as she walked past her father. "Is that what happened, Mr. Rosier?" Severus asked, his voice dangerously low. Basil was staring after Aurora, but turned to Severus when he was addressed.

"If she says so, Professor."

"Why don't you tell me what _really_ happened, Basil?" Basil's eyes remained focused on Severus's, and the professor was surprised by the intensity of the boy's stare.

"It's personal, Professor, so I'd appreciate it if you just dropped it." Severus's jaw nearly fell to the floor. Basil Rosier hadn't so much as spoken out of turn once during the entire term, and now he was in no uncertain terms telling a teacher - who also happened to be his Head of House - to sod off. As surprised as he was, he also had to admit that he felt a grudging respect for the boy. 

"Personal, Rosier?" he asked shortly. "You'd best get back to the common room, then." Basil blinked, a bit startled by the quick acceptance of his request.

"Thank you, Professor," he mumbled as he turned away. Severus watched him leave before going into his office where Aurora was waiting. As he closed the door behind him, he saw a tear trickle down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away when she noticed he'd arrived, but looked at him expectantly. He leaned against his desk and looked at her with interest.

"What do you want me to do today?" she asked softly, wiping another escaped tear from her face.

"I want you to tell me what happened in the corridor," he replied calmly, noticing how she instantly tensed.

"It's personal, Father." 

"Interesting. That's exactly what Mr. Rosier said," he mused, still studying her face. She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes somewhat hardened.

"So how come you're still asking? Haven't you gotten the hint yet?" He leaned down so that his face was inches from hers, his own eyes flashing with anger.

"I'm asking because I'm your _father_ , child. I'm still asking because you sounded scared out of your wits. And I'm telling you this only once: do not _ever_ be impudent to me again, am I clear?" Her eyes had widened slightly as he spoke, and she nodded as he drew back. "Good," he stated emphatically, disturbed by his own reaction. Trying to shake it off, he unlocked the cupboard and stayed hidden behind the doors as he pretended to search for something. 

"Damn it, man, control your anger - don't let it control you," he muttered. He pulled down _Restoratives: A Study on the Effects of the Mandrake Root_ and set it on his desk. Aurora was following his progress with her eyes, looking as though she were afraid to move a muscle. "Aurora." His voice was soft, but she nonetheless jumped when he spoke. 

"Madam Pomfrey has asked me to create a batch of the restorative she uses to cure nausea and vomiting. It's a bit more complex than what I had you finish last night, but I have no doubts about your ability to do it correctly." She hesitantly rose from her chair and stood next to him, regarding the recipe with interest.

" _Quease Ease_? What kind of a name is that for a potion?" He smiled thinly. 

"The author of that book wanted to manufacture those draughts to sell. Unfortunately for him, he died the day it was published."

"Oh?" she asked, leafing through the book with interest.

"Right now," he said, turning her attention back to the proper page, "we need to concentrate on _this_ potion. There will be ample time for you to peruse the remainder of that tome. You're here for another two and a half weeks, don't forget." 

"Am I going to get to make potions every night?" she asked hopefully.

"I had planned on it, as you and Mr. Malfoy have managed to scrape the desks so that they nearly shine, the students are afraid to get them dirty. You know," he said thoughtfully, "Neville Longbottom hasn't exploded a single cauldron all week. I do believe that's a record. He and Miss Cafferty are the source of most of the mess that accumulates out there."

"I'll try to make sure Erin doesn't have any more accidents for a while," she said, grinning at him. "It won't be easy, mind you. She does have a knack for making a mess." 

“Indeed,” Severus muttered, pleased that the incident between Aurora and Basil had evidently been pushed aside. 

He led her to the corner, where the large cauldron stood. A pained expression passed over her face, making him slightly agitated. She did seem to get emotional over the silliest things. "Of course, if you'd prefer not to prepare the potion, I do have ample work that needs done," he said testily. She shook her head, her eyes not leaving the gold plaque.

"No, I want to do it. It was just Mum..." her voice trailed off, and she seemed to be in her own world as he regarded her.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked, frowning.

"What?" She seemed to come out of her reverie, "I'm fine. Sorry." She smiled, though it was obvious even to him that it was forced.

"Aurora-"

"I'm _fine_ ," she insisted. "Let's just get on with it, please?" He could tell she wasn't being honest with him, and the thought irritated him. Hadn't he proved that she could trust him yet? Feeling _very_ testy, he turned again to the cauldron.

" _Incendio_ ," he hissed, causing a fire to leap to life under the enormous cauldron. Without being told, Aurora obtained her ingredients from the cupboard behind her, then re-read the instructions again. He heard her muttering to herself as she had the previous night, and his tension eased a bit as a bittersweet smile crept across his face.

"What?" Aurora demanded, obviously misinterpreting his smile.

"Sometimes I fear you are too much like myself," he said quietly, thinking of the many times he'd caught himself muttering over a cauldron.

"Sorry, you've lost me," she replied, frowning.

"It's not important," he said quickly, "but you'd better pay attention to your potion - it's beginning to boil over." She turned back to the cauldron in surprise as she hastily added the powdered mandrake root. 

Severus sat in the chair behind his desk and watched his daughter as she effortlessly brewed the complicated potion. He marveled again at the speed and confidence that accompanied her muttering, and the small seed of pride that had been planted from watching her in class began to grow. 

He handed her a phial as she completed the last step, then watched with satisfaction as she dipped it into the cauldron. The liquid turned an intense shade of blue once contained, and there were pinpoints of light shining throughout. 

"Those are the beetle eyes," he explained in answer to her questioning look. "They don't completely dissolve." Placing the bottle on his desk, he looked down at her expectantly. "Can you guess what you're to do next?" She looked up at him, then down at the book in her hands.

"A paper on restoratives?" 

"Yes, and as you've shown you're equal to the task, I want you to write at least six feet. Discuss how the variations on the basic restorative are achieved. You will be allowed to take the book with you, but I would like it returned at tomorrow evening's detention. Once I get things locked up down here, I will take you up to the common room." She nodded eagerly as she went into the classroom, settling herself at a desk comfortably with the book. 

Severus emerged from his office, having re-locked the cupboards and extinguished the fires. As he set the protective wards on his door, she stood and followed him to the hall, her nose still buried in the book. She did not stop reading the length of their journey, though she made the occasional remark.

"Jobberknoll feathers? That makes sense, for a memory restorative, I suppose... _sliced caterpillars?_ " She looked up at him questioningly as they approached Ravenclaw Tower. "Does this fever-reducer actually work?" He glanced down at the book at the recipe indicated with a smirk.

"It does," he affirmed, "but not as well as the one near the back: _Fever Reliever_." She stared at him with a disgusted look.

"This guy wasn't very good at names, was he?" Severus smiled thinly.

"Don't judge the book by its cover, Aurora." She rolled her eyes at him as they reached Jonna. She spoke the password, then looked over her shoulder.

"Goodnight, Professor Snape."

"Aurora, are you sure you don't want to-"

"No," she stated firmly. 

"I see," he replied, studying her face, "Goodnight then, Aurora." As he watched her pass through the door, he noticed that she squared her shoulders as if she were bracing herself for something unpleasant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora walked into the common room reluctantly - she knew that her friends were going to bombard her with questions about the conversation between her and Basil, and she wasn't quite sure how she was going to answer them. On the one hand, the thought of one of her best friends having a family of Death Eaters terrified and repulsed her, but on the other hand, that was Basil's personal business. Aurora didn't feel right about sharing his secret with anyone else. That's the reason she hadn't told her father what was said: it _was_ personal. 

Deciding that she wasn't going to let them pry any information from her, she approached her friends cautiously, her insides quivering with nervous anticipation.

"Hey," she greeted as she slid into the empty seat next to Erin. The two girls did not answer, but looked at her with expressions of interested concern. "Did I miss something?" she asked, laughing nervously.

"Aurora, Malfoy told us about Basil's grandfather," Erin began softly, her eyes not leaving Aurora's.

"Oh?" she replied, not knowing how she should respond.

"Basil also told us about your reaction," Kim whispered. "Aurora, just because -"

"Look," Aurora interrupted, standing from her chair, "I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Glancing around at the other students who filled the common room, she had the urge to get out from under their prying eyes. "I'm going to the dorm," she muttered, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She climbed the stairs two at a time, relieved when the familiar dormitory door loomed ahead of her. 

Her feeling of ease abated as she spotted Jamie lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her old friend made no move to acknowledge her presence as Aurora made her way over to her own bed across the room. As she tossed her bag onto the floor by her trunk, a noise behind her caused her to spin around. Jamie was standing next to her, studying her with interest.

"Basil's a good guy," she said quietly. 

"Not exactly comforting coming from someone who sings Malfoy's praises," Aurora replied sharply, immediately on guard. Jamie smiled ruefully.

"Yeah, well, we all have our quirks." Aurora cocked her head to one side and regarded her friend with unconcealed suspicion.

"You haven't spoken a civil word to me in two weeks. Why should I trust anything you say?"

"Basil's a good guy," she repeated. "Don't shut him out because his family's made mistakes." Aurora felt as though she would have said more, but the arrival of Kim and Erin ended their conversation. Jamie excused herself from the room as the duo made their way over to Aurora. Kim stared after her with undisguised loathing.

"What'd _she_ want?"

"The same thing you two do, I bet," Aurora sighed as she climbed onto her bed. Her friends arranged themselves next to her, making her feel trapped.

"Aurora, don't blame him for what his family is," Kim pleaded. "It's not his fault they're losers."

"Kim Travis, sticking up for a _Slytherin_?" Aurora said scathingly. "What is the world coming to?"

"Stop it," Kim scowled. "I know I haven't exactly been president of the Basil Rosier fan club, but he's alright, I guess." 

"You don't understand," Aurora snapped. "How could either of you possibly understand at all?"

"My father was killed by a Death Eater," Erin said quietly as her friends looked at her in shock, "so I _do_ understand, thank you very much."

"You've never told us that," Aurora whispered.

"Not something that comes up in everyday conversation, is it?" she said evenly, picking at the lint on Aurora's comforter.

"At least you've _known_ how he died, though. You weren't left wondering what happened for ten years."

"Oh yeah," Erin said sarcastically, "knowing makes it all better, does it? Is that what you think? Well, let me tell you something, Aurora. I wish I didn't know, okay? I know who, what, when, where, and why he died. Nicole's been pounding it into me and my older brother since I was a baby."

"How do you know who killed him?" Kim asked shakily.

"It was in all the papers," Erin said darkly. "They caught him."

"Well, that's something, isn't it?" Aurora offered. "I mean, at least he's in prison now." Erin shook her head angrily.

"Whether or not he's in prison isn't the issue, Aurora. You said we couldn't possibly understand how you feel. But I do. And I don't hold it against Basil anymore than you should."

"But-"

"Stop thinking only about yourself, okay? Have you thought about Basil at all? He didn't _have_ to tell you, you know."

"If he hadn't, Malfoy would've," Aurora shot back. "He even said he'd never have told me if it could have been helped."

"Can you blame him?" Kim said helplessly.

"Yes," Aurora replied stoutly, "that's something you shouldn't keep from your friends." Erin shot Aurora a piercing look, reminding her without saying a word about Aurora's own secret. She shook her head again. 

"Look," she said, her body aching for sleep, "it's been a really long day. Maybe I'll see it your way tomorrow. I'm not promising anything," she added hastily as she saw the hopeful looks on her friends' faces, "but right now I just need some sleep." 

Erin walked away, and the full force of her previous words suddenly sank in. Aurora turned to Kim, who had apparently been thinking the same thing. "Did she just say she had a brother?"


	23. No More Secrets?

Kim and Aurora hurried over to Erin, who had begun to change into her pajamas.

"What?" she asked, startled by the eager looks on their faces.

"You never said you had a brother before," Kim accused. "How much older is he? Does he go to Hogwarts too? Do we _know_ him?"

Erin stared in surprise."W-what are you talking about?" she stuttered, looking from one friend to the other.

"Just now, when you were talking about your dad's murder," Aurora prodded gently. "You said your Mum had pounded it into you _and your older brother_."

Erin's face went white. "Must have been a slip of the tongue," she replied, laughing nervously. "You two would know if I had a brother."

Kim scowled and crossed her arms angrily over her chest. "Nice try, Cafferty. Come on, fess up. You've let it slip, at least save yourself _some_ dignity by being honest now."

"Nobody is supposed to know," she whispered, her eyes wide with the fear of discovery. "Nicole's going to kill me."

"Really, Erin! How's she going to find out?" Erin looked at Kim as if she were stupid.

"The inner eye is an inherited trait, Kim. Figure it out."

Kim looked offended. "You could have gotten it from your dad," she protested.

"Erin, it's all right," Aurora reassured her. "We won't tell anyone." She took her friend's hand in her own and stared into her eyes. "You know all our secrets, you can trust us with yours."

"You won't tell _anyone_?" Erin asked, her voice quavering. Aurora shook her head emphatically, noticing from the corner of her eye that Kim was doing the same. "Not even your families?" she asked, staring pointedly at Aurora.

Aurora tensed instantly, her feelings hurt. "Not even our families," she agreed firmly, still meeting her friend's gaze.

Erin dropped her eyes and sighed. "He's four years older than me," she whispered, glancing nervously at the door. "And he does go to Hogwarts. You do know him," she finished, not meeting their eyes.

Sudden realization dawned on Aurora, and she shook her head in disbelief. "You can't mean - not _Davey?"_ she asked incredulously. Erin nodded sullenly.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Kim demanded.

"Would _you_ admit he was your brother?" Erin asked pointedly. Kim closed her mouth, but Aurora grinned.

"I know I wouldn't," she offered. "But _Davey?_ This is too weird."

"Why weren't we supposed to know?" Kim asked, frowning. "I mean, yeah, he's a pain in the arse, but what's it hurt to know you're his sister?"

"He's a bit too much like my dad, apparently. He's got kind of a reputation for being-"

"A pompous windbag?" Aurora interrupted. Erin smiled woefully.

"That too, but he's been meddling with stuff he shouldn't. Nicole didn't want my chances at Hogwarts ruined by his reputation. She said she saw my ruination from his actions. That's why I was almost sent to Beauxbatons."

"So your Mum is totally aware that he's a nasty bugger," Kim observed.

"Not that there's much she can do about it," Erin sighed.

"Wait a minute," Aurora interjected, "you two haven't said two words to each other all term. At least, not that I've heard. What's going on with _that_? I know Steven and his brother don't get along all that great, but they speak to each other when they're in the same room together, even if it is all shouting."

"I _told_ you," Erin said exasperatedly, "nobody is supposed to find out, okay? Now, you promised not to tell anyone."

"On one condition," Kim said suddenly. The two girls looked at her in amazement.

"You've already promised!"

"And I'll stick by it, if -" she looked at her friends seriously, "we promise not to have secrets from each other again." .

"Kim -" Erin said hesitantly.

"No ifs, ands, or buts about it," Kim said firmly. "I'm tired of finding out all this stuff by accident. So - right here, right now, we lay it all out on the table." Erin and Aurora looked at each other nervously as Kim tapped her foot impatiently.

"That's all of my secrets," Erin said calmly. "Though if we're going for _absolute_ honesty, I have to admit that I have a bit of a confession to make."

"What is it?" Kim asked excitedly as Aurora silently thanked her friend for delaying the inevitable.

"I have a slight crush on Ronnie," Erin said, blushing modestly.

Kim clucked her tongue in disappointment. "I think _everyone_ already knows that, Erin. How about you, Aurora? Any secrets you need to share with the group?"

"Well -" she was saved by a knock on the door, followed by the entrance of Professor Flitwick, who was wheezing as if he'd run the entire way from his office.

"Good evening, girls."

"Good evening, Professor Flitwick," they chorused.

"Miss Rinkle, if I could have a word with you for a moment?" Breathing a sigh of relief, Aurora managed to remember to exchange confused glances with her friends before following the tiny teacher out of the dorm. He led her down to his office, by which time he seemed to have caught his breath.

Motioning for her to sit, he muttered, " _Claudo Obfirmo,"_ which caused the door to swing shut and lock. Taking a seat behind his desk, he looked at Aurora kindly. "You're most likely wondering why I've brought you here, Aurora?" She shook her head and smiled.

"No, I felt the tingling in the Watcher. My father was using it, right, Professor?" Flitwick beamed his approval.

"Well done! You actually _felt_ it when it was being used?" he asked excitedly. "It creates a vibration, of course, but most of the time it goes unnoticed." He stared at the stone with awe. "Truly magnificent idea, those stones," he praised. "Been in use for centuries, did you know?" She shook her head, wondering if he was going to begin lecturing her on the history of the Watcher. "Yes, we're sure to be able to keep a close eye on you with those. Take tonight, for example. If Severus hadn't been observing you, you would have been in a very difficult position."

"Professor, you saved me from lying to my friend for tonight, but what about the next time she asks for me to reveal all my secrets? What could be the harm in telling her?" Flitwick looked at her as if she'd gone crazy. He leaned slightly forward in his seat, as if emphasizing what he was going to say.

"Aurora, you must understand that we are all interested in your safety and well-being. If you choose to take it upon yourself to tell people, even your closest friends, about your paternity, neither I, nor any other staff member at Hogwarts, could guarantee your safety."

"So you _do_ guarantee it now, sir? Because I have to tell you, it's a bit freaky sitting in Professor Quirrell's class, trying to take notes when you know that he might be spending his spare time thinking of nasty letters to send."

"We are doing everything we can to protect you, but our efforts alone will not be sufficient."

"Meaning that I've still got to lie to my friends," she finished resignedly.

He nodded, his face filled with compassion. "My dear, I know it must be difficult, but believe me when I say it _is_ the only way at the present time to proceed. Perhaps you will be able to tell them the truth when this business with the letters is over."

"That’ll never happen," she said, shaking her head. "The only way my father would admit I was his daughter was if every Death Eater in the world already knew it." She leaned forward in her chair as well. "Did he tell _you_ why he thinks they're after me?"

Her Head of House was startled by her question, and he sat back as he stared at her oddly. "That," he said slowly and deliberately, "is not for me to say. Some things are privileged information, not necessarily intended or permissible to be repeated except from the original source." Aurora nodded wearily: she'd expected as much, and with her experience with Basil, knew all too well that Flitwick was right. Speaking of the incident with Basil -

"Professor," she asked quickly, "how much _did_ he hear, exactly? Did he happen to tell you?"

"Not specifically, no," Flitwick replied. "All he said was that you were in danger of revealing your identity, and I needed to collect you from there immediately. Naturally, I obliged. I must say, though, I _am_ surprised that he left before we returned."

"I haven't left," came from the corner of the room, where the firelight did not reach. Her father stepped out of the shadows and approached the pair as Aurora struggled to keep her anger in check.

"Severus!" Flitwick squeaked, "what on Earth where you doing hiding over there? You had every right to be here as well."

"I wasn't _hiding_ , Filius. I merely thought that Aurora would speak more freely if I wasn't present." He looked down at his daughter, whose outrage was beginning to burst through.

"I appreciate that you're trying to help," she said through clenched teeth. "But that doesn't give you the right to eavesdrop on me whenever you feel like it."

"If you would stop keeping things from me, I wouldn't feel the need to eavesdrop on you," he said calmly. Flitwick cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I think I'll just wait out in my classroom. When you've finished, I'll escort her back to the common room, Severus." Her father nodded absently as the miniscule professor scurried out the door. Aurora looked at him warily. Now that they were alone, was he going to explode? To her surprise, he leaned nonchalantly against Flitwick's desk.

"So how much _did_ you hear?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as he appeared.

"Enough," he stated simply. "The news about Rosier was particularly disturbing." His eyes darted towards her face, and she had the feeling he was fishing for information.

She smiled sweetly up at him. "Oh? What news would that be?" His calm façade slipped for a moment as the anger once again flashed behind his eyes.

"Fine," he snapped, "we both know I didn't hear anything about him. But I want you to tell me, right now, what went on in the corridor. I heard you say 'they' were still after you. Did you mean the Death Eaters?"

"Tell me why Mum was killed, and why they're after me, and maybe I'll tell you what Basil said in the corridor," she said smugly. A light bulb seemed to go off in her father's head as she watched.

"So," he said quietly, his eyes now showing understanding. "Told you about his family, did he?" Aurora sat up straighter in her chair.

"How do you know about his family?" she demanded. He wasn't looking at her, but at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. After a minute, he shook his head.

"You will know, in time."

"Arrgh! Why do you think you have to protect me from this? I'm eleven, Father. I'm not a baby!"

"It's not you I'm protecting," he said quietly, his eyes flicking to hers. "It's me."

She stared at him in shock. "So you did something -"

"I do not deny that I have made my share of mistakes. At this point in time, I am unwilling to - how did Miss Travis put it - 'fess up' to the majority of them. Believe me when I say that it is my own weakness, not yours, that prevents me from facing them right now."

"Fine," she grudgingly conceded, "but you _will_ tell me eventually, right?"

"Eventually," he agreed, "but for now, go back to your dormitory.” She hesitated, wanting to say something, but not sure what she should say. She finally settled on simply muttering "good night," and went into the classroom, where Professor Flitwick was waiting to walk back to her dorm with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus kept his eyes on the door long after his daughter had passed through it, chiding himself for promising to reveal his past to her.

"Eventually could mean quite a long time, actually," he muttered to himself. Then he sighed. The way the term had been going thus far, she'd find out one way or another, and probably before too long. He left Flitwick's office to return to his own room, his mind reeling as he thought over his past mistakes.


	24. Advice

Severus bolted upright, a scream of pain, carried from his nightmare, dying on his lips as he realized he was in his own room at Hogwarts. As he wiped the cold sweat from his face, his eyes came to rest on his left forearm, where the Dark Mark remained, though it was now barely a shadow. Revolted, he drew the sleeve of his nightshirt down, successfully covering the hated brand. He threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed, then sat for a minute, his head in his hands.

"Come off it, " he muttered. "You're too old to be frightened by memories." Though he felt sure of this simple fact, it nonetheless took him another ten minutes before he was confident enough to stand. He poured himself a cup of tea and pointed his wand at the fireplace, " _Incendio_ ," then settled into the armchair, certain that it was where he would pass the remaining hours of the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Aurora sat at breakfast the next morning, she wondered whether or not Kim would broach the subject of secrets once again, as Jamie's presence upon Aurora's return the night before had made further questions ill advised.

Hoping to avoid such a confrontation, she virtually inhaled her breakfast, but she needn't have worried - enough diversion was offered by the delivery of the mail. Aurora frowned as an envelope dropped in front of her. She didn’t recognize the tidy print on the outer envelope. She tore it open, choking on the milk she'd been drinking when she saw the familiar ARS scrawled on another envelope inside. Copious amounts of the liquid splattered on Kim, and her friend looked at her in disgust as Aurora hastily shoved the letter into her pocket.

"That was gross, Aurora. Now I'll need to take another bath before Potions," Kim moaned.

"Well, if you hurry, you'll have plenty of time," Aurora said shortly as she stood up. "Erin, why don't we go on down to Snape's classroom now?" Erin didn't respond, and Aurora noticed that she was staring intently at a letter in her own hand. "Erin?" Her friend looked up in surprise.

"Sorry," she mumbled, finishing her own breakfast as she stood to join her friend. They made their way out of the Hall, Kim heading towards Ravenclaw tower, Erin and Aurora headed to the dungeons. "Why aren't we waiting on Kim?" Erin asked.

Aurora pulled the letter out of her robes. Erin’s eyes grew wide. "But it came by owl, didn't it?" Aurora nodded brusquely.

"I've got to show it to Father," she said in a low voice so they weren't overheard. "I'm supposed to let him know the minute something happens." By that time, they had reached the classroom, but her father was nowhere to be found. "C'mon, we'll wait inside with the door shut," Aurora suggested. "That way, the other students can file up outside the door while I talk to him about it." They settled themselves nervously on the edge of the front desk as Aurora fingered the letter. Her thoughts turned to the mail her friend had received, and she turned to her questioningly. "What upset you at breakfast? I saw you looking at that envelope like it was a death sentence or something." Erin stuck her hand inside her own pocket and pulled out the aforementioned letter.

"It's from Nicole," she said softly, handing it to her friend, then staring at her shoes as Aurora read it.

_ERIN LOUISE CAFFERTY -_

_I cannot believe you would sink to such depths! Telling your dorm mates about your relation to David! Know that if I could have, I would have sent a howler, but secrecy is still imperative. How dare you jeopardize your future at Hogwarts by admitting your association with him! And don't think I don't know about you joining that little club you wrote me about. I knew as soon as I sent the letter forbidding you to be any part of it that you'd sign up immediately._

_Professor Dumbledore wrote to me regarding your outlandish treatment of that poor girl. Perhaps you are more like David than either of us cares to admit. At any rate, you will not be allowed to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays as you've requested. I will personally arrive at the school to escort you home on the last day of the term, and as for consorting with that Rinkle girl- I hear from Lucius Malfoy that she's nothing but a foul-tempered brat with no regard for the rules. I absolutely forbid you from consorting with her in the future. Why don't you have more nice friends, like that Miss Hobbs you wrote me about? She's got good taste, landing herself a Malfoy so early in life._

_You're treading on dangerous ground, young lady. Perhaps you'd best start in on your French lessons after all._

_Regards,_

_Mother_

Aurora looked up from the note with sympathy.

"Well, it is pretty much the reaction you expected, isn't it?"

"That doesn't mean I enjoy having my mother write nasty notes threatening to take me out of Hogwarts, does it?" Erin looked thoroughly miserable.

"Cheer up, Erin. At least you're not getting letters like mine." Erin glanced at her apologetically.

"Geez, I'm sorry, Aurora. What does this one say? Have you read it yet?" Aurora shook her head as she pulled out the envelope that had been inside the envelope she'd already opened. At that moment, the door opened and her father entered. He looked surprised to see them there, but it was swiftly concealed with a scowl.

He quickly closed the door behind him, then walked up towards the girls. Aurora noticed with uneasiness that he didn't look as if he'd gotten much sleep the night before.

"Are you okay?" she asked sheepishly. Her question seemed to startle him more than her presence, but he nodded absently as he studied their faces.

"What are you two doing in here? Class does not begin for ten minutes," he drawled, taking a seat at his desk and clasping his hands in front of him. Aurora got down from the desk and handed him the envelope.

"Another letter from our mysterious friend. It came at breakfast, in the mail." Severus looked from the letter to Erin's face sharply.

"I see," he said calmly, accepting the letter. He cast an angry look at his daughter, who had been expecting as much.

"Since I'm not supposed to go anywhere alone, someone had to come with me. Erin's the only one who knows what's going on." The explanation seemed to satisfy him, and he turned the envelope over in his hands. "Aren't you going to open it?" she asked anxiously, wanting to view the contents.

"Aurora, do you think it wise to do this," he glanced at his watch, "now five minutes before class is to begin? I'll open it after class, then we will discuss it at your detention."

"No way!" she protested angrily, "Look, I know that it's probably a threat, but you're not seriously going to make me wait eight hours to know what it says, are you?"

"Yes," he replied simply, an amused light in his eyes, "I am." He held up a hand as she began to protest again. "If you wanted to know what it contained so badly, you should have opened it before coming to me." Aurora couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You would've been mad if I'd done that," she argued, her hands on her hips and her eyes flashing angrily.

"Why don't we compromise," he suggested. Aurora was astonished. Her father, compromise?

"Okay," she said slowly, not sure where it was leading.

"We'll wait until after class to open it."

"Deal," she said happily, grabbing her books from the front desk and taking her seat with Erin in the back. Her father walked over to the classroom door and opened it, allowing the remaining students to file in. If any of them were surprised that the two girls were already there, none of them showed it. Kim hurried and sat next to Erin, her hair still damp from her second bath.

"I didn't see you guys in the line outside," she whispered as they got out their books.

"We were already in here," Aurora said simply as she set up her cauldron.

"Doing what?" Kim asked skeptically.

"Well, Professor Snape's been having me create potions during detention, and I had to ask him a question about the paper he also assigned me. I've got to stay after class and get a couple of books from him, too." Kim accepted this without further comment, and Erin gave Aurora a thumbs-up sign as class began. Aurora concentrated on her potion, trying not to dwell on whatever was in that letter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am thoroughly displeased with the lack of effort this class is putting into the homework assignments. As such, you will all write the four feet on the properties of the bezoar and its effect on poisons that my other classes have been assigned. In addition, you will write six feet on the most effective antidotes which utilize the bezoar." There was a general moan amongst the students at this lengthy assignment. "Silence!" The room quieted, and Severus looked at them disapprovingly. "You lot are by far the sorriest group of first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs I have seen in the many years I've taught at Hogwarts." The bell rang, but not a student moved a muscle. "You are dismissed," Severus said shortly, returning to his desk to begin going over the homework of the previous day.

He looked up expectantly when he heard the door close, and he saw that he was alone with his daughter. She approached the desk reluctantly, and he could see that she was as nervous as he as to the contents of the morning's letter.

"What was that tirade for?" she asked, obviously feeling the need to defend her classmates.

"Their work is atrocious. It's time this class began trying in earnest."

"None of the other teachers give us extra homework," she pointed out as she followed him into his office.

"Well, then the other teachers evidently accept mediocrity. I do not. Now, let's find out about this letter, shall we?"

"You're awfully moody today," she observed, cocking her head to one side. He looked down at her sharply, struggling to keep his anger in check.

"You'll have that now and again," he said simply, breaking the seal on the envelope. A wisp of smoke curled out, filling the space between Severus's desk and the office door. Fearing poison was involved, he instinctively pulled Aurora behind him, sniffing the air as he did so. "Stay here," he instructed, walking slowly towards the swirling gray mist. "No odor," he muttered. As he reached out to touch it, the mist suddenly took shape, and a hooded figure wearing a mask formed in front of him. Severus felt as though he had ice water flowing through his veins.

"Wh-who is that?" Aurora stammered, coming up behind him. He whirled around, angry that she'd disobeyed.

"I told you to stay back!" he snarled. She recoiled from his tone, but the curiosity on her face remained as she stepped back behind his desk. "That is a Death Eater," he said slowly, turning back to examine the figure. It seemed to have become more solid, and Severus raised his wand, preparing to defend them against whatever this phantom intended.

_"Secrets and betrayals have a habit of becoming known at inopportune times,"_ the apparition spoke, its voice scratchy and low. Severus strained his ears, trying to discern whose voice was emanating from the figure. _"Though the two very often go hand-in-hand, you may have the former without the latter, but you cannot have the latter without the former. Heed this: you can not be betrayed if you are close to none."_

The phantom then vanished into thin air, taking with it the mist that had up to then filled the room. Severus looked back at Aurora to ascertain that she was all right, only to find her studying the envelope that he'd dropped onto the desk.

"Father - look at this." He walked over to see that the envelope had resealed itself, just as the previous one had.

"That seemed more like a warning than a threat," he mused aloud. She nodded emphatically.

"Do you still have the other letters?"

"Yes, in my quarters, why?"

"Can we go there now?" She looked as if she was on the verge of solving something very important, but still... how would it look for him to be escorting a student to his room in the middle of the morning?

"I'll bring them to your detention," he said finally. This seemed to satisfy her as she glanced down at the envelope again.

"See you after dinner, then," she said with a small smile. "That wasn't really as bad as the others, was it?" He shook his head and frowned as she left the room, wondering what she thought she'd discovered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim and Erin were waiting in the hallway when Aurora left the Potions classroom. Erin looked curious, but Kim merely looked agitated.

"What took you so long? You could have _read_ those books by now." Aurora had to wrack her brain to remember that she had told Kim she was borrowing books from their professor.

"Oh, he had trouble remembering where he put them," she lied, feeling horrible. She thought of the phantom's message about betrayal. "Kim, I have to tell you something," she began, wanting to tell her friend everything. Kim turned to her questioningly, but Erin jabbed her in the ribs.

"What?"

Aurora rubbed her side as she glared angrily at Erin. "Um, I borrowed a pair of your socks this morning," she said quickly.

"That's all right. I borrowed a pair of yours last week. We're even, then." Aurora sighed unhappily as she followed her friends up the stairs. As they reached the library, she noticed that Jamie was sitting alone at a corner table. Excusing herself from her companions, she went over.

"Hey, Jamie." Her friend looked up, somewhat startled at being addressed. The Slytherins weren't due to arrive until after two.

"Hi."

Aurora sat down, not sure what to say. "Just wanted to say thanks for the advice about Basil."

Jamie beamed at her. "Great! So you're still friends with him?"

Aurora looked down at her bag. "Not really. I just appreciate that you tried."

Jamie scowled at her. "Evidently not hard enough."

"Well, I just wanted you to know," Aurora said as she wandered back over to her friends. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing that Jamie still had a scowl on her face, and that it did not fade as she turned back to her book.

"What did you say?" Kim hissed.

"Something I shouldn't have, I suppose," Aurora countered, sensing that Jamie disapproved of her once again. She turned to her Potions assignment in the hopes of fending off a discussion about Basil. It worked, at least until after two, when the Slytherins arrived. Basil immediately headed over to their table, ignoring the smug smile on Draco's face as he passed.

"Hey," he said cautiously, his eyes on Aurora. She nodded briefly, then turned back to her book. Basil looked crushed, and Erin shot her an angry look.

"Talking to him isn't going to hurt you any," she hissed in her ear. Aurora simply shook her head and continued reading. After ten minutes of reading the same page and not getting anything out of it, she smiled as Harry, Ron, and Hermione came in. Harry took the empty seat next to her, shooting a questioning look at Kim and Erin as he noticed the tension at the table.

"Aurora's being a punk," Kim offered helpfully.

Aurora glared at her as she turned to Harry. "It's fine, Harry. How were your classes today? Snape gave us extra homework because Ravenclaws are supposed to be smart, and apparently we're not living up to his expectations. Never mind that half the class are Hufflepuffs."

Ron grinned at her. "Thank goodness he doesn't expect much from Gryffindors," he said. "I can hardly keep up as it is!"

This caused an erumpent of giggles from Erin.

"Just think how I feel, Ronnie! I explode something every time I go to class!"

"You've done well the past couple of weeks," Aurora protested. "You haven't done any damage to Snape's class since Halloween!"

"Only because you help her all the time," Kim pointed out. "If I was her partner, she'd have burnt down Hogwarts by now. I could help as long as she was headed in the right direction, but you know how to fix her mistakes."

"Hermione's good at that, too," Ron piped up, eliciting a jealous glare from Erin.

"That's only because I have nothing better to do with my time than read," Hermione argued.

"Besides which, she likes to poke her nose into everyone's business," Erin whispered in Aurora's ear. She forced a cough to cover up her giggle: ever since Hermione had started hanging out with them, Aurora had to admit that she'd noticed a bit of a bossy streak in the other girl. It certainly didn't endear her to the trio of Ravenclaws, but if she was Harry and Ron's friend, so be it.

"I'm sure that comes in handy, though," Aurora offered, trying to be friendly. "I read a lot, too. I'm mostly interested in Potions."

"Ugh. I can't stand Snape. He's a horrible, mean, old man."

"Maybe he's been judged based on the wrong criteria," Basil broke in softly. Aurora felt her face go hot as she thought of what he was referring to, then quickly excused herself.

"I'll come with you," Erin offered, knowing she wasn't supposed to wander around alone. They were almost to the door when Basil appeared by her side.

"Aurora, please. Can't we talk?"

"I'm sorry, Basil. Maybe I just need some time," she said, not looking at him, "I just can't hang around with you right now." Without seeing his reaction, she hurried down the hall, Erin close at her heels.

"Aurora -"

"Don't!" she snapped. "I feel bad enough without you harping on it, okay?"

"If you feel bad, why don't you apologize? Remember what I said before, about Basil being exactly who he appeared to be? Don't you trust me?"

"I can't let it go, Erin, okay? Give it some time, will you?"

Erin looked at her angrily as she folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. But if you wait too long to realize you're being an idiot, your friendship won't ever be the same."

"Can it ever be?"

"Of course," Erin said softly, "but you have to let it, Aurora."

Aurora shook her head sadly. "I don't think I can." Erin's gaze turned from anger to pity as she looked at her friend. Putting her arm around her shoulder, they began walking again.

"C'mon," Erin said brightly, "let's go spit out the windows and see if we can hit anyone."


	25. Of Siblings and Surprises

Though they didn't hit anyone whilst spitting out the window, Aurora and Erin did manage to draw the attention of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Jamie, who had wandered outside soon after the girls had returned to the common room.

"OOh, watch me hock a big loogie at Doofus," Aurora said, sticking her head out the window and working up quite a nice bit of phlegm. Just as she was leaning her head back to release, Draco looked up. She aimed and let it go, then watched disappointedly as it was swept onto the side of the castle and frozen by the brisk November winds. Draco gestured rudely as his cronies laughed, then the quartet walked on towards the Forbidden Forest.

"What are they doing?" Erin asked as Aurora craned her neck to try and see around the tower.

"I dunno. Maybe they're going to sacrifice Doofus. That'd be great, wouldn't it?"

Erin grinned. "Yeah, but let's discuss it by the fire. I'm freezing!" They pulled the window shut and settled in the armchairs, glad to be the only two in the room. "So, are you going to tell me what was in the last letter?" Erin finally asked.

"You're a seer," Aurora commented. "Don't you already know?"

"I _told_ you I can't see everything. You used to be easy to read, but now - it's like there's a curtain there, and all I can see is fuzzy stuff. So, now I have to resort to _asking_." She put such an exasperated emphasis on the final word that Aurora couldn't help but laugh.

"All right, I give up then. It was kind of odd," she said, remembering the message, "the room filled up with smoke, then there was a Death Eater, and -" their conversation was cut short by the entrance of Kim, who looked extremely disgruntled.

"You two are always going off and leaving me," she wailed. "I wish you'd stop doing that!"

"Sorry, Kim," they muttered apologetically.

"Yeah, well, don't let it happen again," she said testily, though the other girls could tell she had already forgiven them. "So what have you two been up to?"

"Tried to spit on Doofus," Aurora said nonchalantly. "But it froze to the wall. He gave me a very nice sign, though. Wish I'd had a camera, it would've made for some nice decorations around here." More students began filing into the common room, with David bringing up the rear. Aurora rolled her eyes and leaned over to Erin. "Don't look now, Erin, but there's your darling big brother."

"Ignore him," she instructed, not even looking up from the book she'd started to read.

"Easier said than done," Kim replied as David made his way over to them, an evil smile on his face.

"So," he said triumphantly as he leaned on the back of Erin's chair. "How are the three musketeers this afternoon? Not causing trouble? I'm shocked." Erin's face turned crimson clear to her hair as she buried her face further in her book.

" _Davey!_ " Aurora exclaimed in her most annoying sing-song voice. "How absolutely _lovely_ to see you! Would you be a dear and go jump out the window? There's a good lad." She smiled sweetly at him as her friends stifled their giggles.

David's ears burned brightly as he narrowed his eyes to glare maliciously at Aurora.

"Are you sure you wouldn't faint, little Rinkle? I heard you were crying for your mummy during Snape's class last week. How did the old git deal with _that_ one?"

"Shut up, David," Erin muttered between tightly clenched teeth, though she didn't look up from her book.

David looked down on his sister in mock astonishment. "What's _this_? My baby sister is actually _speaking_ to me? Better not tell Mother, she'll pitch a fit."

"You don't know anything about _anything_ , David, so just bugger off." To their great surprise and immense relief, he did just that, giving them one final sneer of contempt before sauntering out of the common room. "Sorry," Erin said once he'd gone, "he's a bit of an ass."

"We already _know_ that," Kim said pleasantly, "and don't think you have to apologize for him just because you're his brother. I never apologize for my sisters. They're all holy terrors, and I don't have anything to do with it."

The two girls stared at her in shock.

"You have sisters?"

Kim looked at them strangely.

"Yes," she said, obviously surprised that they didn't know.

"What happened to no more secrets?" Aurora asked a bit too sharply, as David's presence had annoyed her to no end.

"This isn't a secret," she said, frowning, "it's just my family."

"But you've never _told_ us," Erin pointed out, "that counts."

Kim was beginning to look very frazzled.

"Look, I'm sorry if it never came up," she sputtered, "but I have three sisters, all younger, all right?" Aurora was suddenly struck by how ironic it was that Kim was revealing the existence of her sisters without feeling she'd been anything but completely honest with her friends. Aurora doubted her own revelation, when it came, would be looked upon as lightly.

"What are their names?" Aurora asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from the subject of secrets.

"Kira, Lydia, and Myra. We're all two years apart. Kira's nine, Lydia's seven, and Myra's five."

"Well, you'll all be at Hogwarts together in our seventh year. That should be interesting."

"Maybe for you," she said bitterly, " _I'm_ the one who's going to have them following me about the whole time."

"At least you've got two whole years before Kira starts," Erin pointed out.

"Yeah, but then I've got _five_ whole years with her here," Kim muttered grumpily.

"Maybe they'll surprise you and be totally cool," Aurora offered, "though I have to admit that I wouldn't know about the pains of sibling rivalry. When Steven’s brother is at our place, they sure fight a lot, though. Makes me glad to be an only child. Sometimes, though, I wish I weren't. It would've been fun to grow up with a sister or brother, I think." She frowned. "Preferably a sister. There's too much testosterone in our house during the summer."

Erin smiled thoughtfully. "Maybe that's what's wrong with David," she mused. "He didn't get enough exposure to testosterone growing up." They all giggled at the idea before Erin decided to change the subject. "So, Snape's draught seems to be working for you, huh?"

"No dreams of any kind," Aurora reported gratefully.

"Snape might be a bit of a bast-"

' _Kimberly Travis!"_ Erin cut her off before the other girl could finish her sentence. "I am shocked! Such language!"

Kim shrugged indifferently. "Sorry. Anyway, he may be a -" she looked at Erin, "-grumpy old man, but he sure knows his stuff."

"And he's at least going easy on her in detention, letting her concoct potions this week," Erin added, grinning at her friend.

"Yeah, like last night, we did this really cool potion, it was -" she stopped as she saw the bored looks on her friends' faces. "Sorry," she mumbled, "guess that stuff's only interesting to me, huh?"

Erin nodded emphatically as Kim stood from her chair.

"Well, I'm off to take a nice soak before dinner. I'll meet you guys down in the Hall, all right?" Aurora nodded absently as Kim went up to the dormitories. Erin leaned over the arm of her chair to whisper into her ear.

"Let's go up to the dorms, too. After Kim goes for her bath, you can finish telling me about the letter." Eager to share her theories, Aurora nodded, then followed her friend up the stairs. They passed Kim as she was headed towards the lavatories, then settled cross-legged on Aurora's bed.

"Like I was saying before," Aurora began, "there was all this smoke, and than the image of a Death Eater came out. Then it gave a kind of a warning-" here her story was again interrupted, this time by the entrance of Jamie. Erin shot her a look of death for delaying the details of Aurora's letter, but Jamie paid them no mind, settling on her bed and cracking open a book.

"I've got to write to Steven, anyway," Aurora told Erin as they got up from the bed. "I promised him I would, and he's probably going ballistic because it's been two days since I was supposed to write him." She took out a bit of parchment and a quill and sat at her desk in the corner as she wondered where to begin.

_Uncle Steven -_

_Sorry I didn't write on Tuesday. Professor McGonagall gave me a necklace with a Watcher on it - have you heard of it? It pretty much lets Father see what I'm doing and saying whenever he wants to. It did come in handy last night, though. My friend Kim had demanded we lay all our secrets out on the table, and he sent Professor Flitwick up to get me so I wouldn't have to lie to her. Well, at least not directly, anyway. Erin's still the only one of my friends who knows about Father. But, I guess that's how it's got to be. At least, that's what everyone keeps telling me._

_Oh, I didn't tell you that Hagrid invited me to stop by his hut for a chat if I ever needed to. You were right about him - he does seem like a nice guy. The meeting was pretty dull, except now I know that the Death Eaters might still be after me, even though nobody will tell me why. It's very frustrating not to know why I have to act the way I do, but when I ask Father, he somehow always finds a way to not tell me. It's so aggravating that it makes me want to scream, but again, I guess that's how it has to be._

_Don't worry too much, but I got another letter today. This time it came by mail, though. It wasn't as threatening as the other two, but it was definitely weird. A Death Eater came out of a bunch of smoke and told me that I couldn't be betrayed if I wasn't close to anyone. Then the envelope sealed itself again. I have a feeling it wasn’t sent by the same person._

_Father let me finish a sleeping draught on Tuesday, and I've been taking it the past couple days. It really helps: no more nightmares about Mum._

_Father's been acting halfway decent towards me, even having me do potions for my detentions. He told me that a paper I wrote was N.E.W.T. level._

She paused, then added as an afterthought:

_I'm really glad you came up this weekend. I've missed talking to you a lot- you should stop up more often. Hope you're having fun on your tour. I love you._

_Ra_

Satisfied that her uncle would feel less left out, Aurora rolled up the parchment and tied it with a ribbon, then set off with Erin to stop by the owlery before dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus had just returned to the dungeons after dinner when Aurora appeared for her detention. He pulled out his watch, slightly surprised.

"Your detention isn't for another twenty minutes," he pointed out.

"I know, but I was really anxious to compare those letters," she said eagerly as she dropped her bag on the front desk. They proceeded into his office, where he withdrew the three envelopes. He had not yet had a chance to examine them, and so had no idea what she was looking for as she studied them. He watched her face intently for any sign of discovery, and was rewarded when she smiled triumphantly.

"What is it?"

"Look at them, side by side." Frowning, he did as she suggested, his breath catching in his throat as he noticed that the handwriting on the envelopes did not match.

"The third one is a copycat," he announced, amazed and fearful at the same time. If there were at least two people working together, why not four, or five, or ten? His gaze turned to his daughter, who evidently found the discovery intriguing rather than frightening. Before he could comment on it, Albus swept into the room, smiling as he greeted the two.

"Good evening, Severus. Aurora, I hear you've received another bit of correspondence from our mysterious nemesis?" Aurora nodded as she handed him the envelopes.

"The handwriting on it is different, though. You have to admit, Professor Dumbledore, that even though this is all very creepy, mysteries are always interesting, aren't they?" Her eyes shone with the pleasure of a challenge.

"Aurora," Severus interrupted. "If this weren't real life, we might agree with you. As it is -"

"I know that it's serious, Father. But how's it going to help if I wander around, scared of everything all the time?"

Her mature look on the situation took him by surprise, and he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

"That's the same attitude your mother would've had. Face everything head on, and to the devil with her own fear," Albus noted, cocking his head to the side with interest. His gaze went from Aurora to Severus, who was studying his daughter intently.

Her gaze didn't waver from the letters, but he saw a sad, satisfied smile spread slowly across her face. Clearing his throat, he accepted the envelopes from the headmaster, then pocketed them and sat behind his desk as Albus continued. "Now, Aurora, the introduction of this possible accomplice is a very serious issue."

"What if it's not an accomplice?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, it just seems to me that this third letter was more of a warning," she said, looking to her father for support. As he was in total agreement, he offered it readily.

"With the difference in handwriting, and the entire tone of the message, I'd have to say that it was not sent out of malice." Aurora grinned, pleased that she hadn't needed to convince him. "However, there are simply too many similarities for this unknown person not to know who is behind the other two."

"Which is why they wouldn't come directly to me," Aurora said thoughtfully.

"Precisely," Albus stated emphatically, his misty blue eyes shining with the thrill of discovery. "Whomever sent that third letter didn't want to implicate themselves as accessories to the first two. They'd have to be, or they wouldn't have known the setup of the others."

"Aurora, what did the owl look like?" Severus asked suddenly, feeling as if he were on the verge of solving the mystery.

"The owl?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, yes," he replied testily, "the owl that delivered that letter this morning. Was it one of the school owls?"

"I don't know," she confessed, frowning. "I didn't notice it, because I wasn't expecting any mail. I just wrote to Uncle Steven tonight - he's the only one who writes me. When the letter dropped in front of me, I looked up, but I don't remember seeing which owl dropped it."

Severus sighed in agitation. "So you're only going to be observant when you're expecting something to happen?" he snapped, ignoring the disapproving stare of the headmaster. "That isn't going to help us find out who's doing this, Aurora."

"Shall we arrange a line-up, Severus? Would that satisfy you?" Dumbledore's words, though meant in jest, had a bite to them, and Severus saw how his own words had affected his daughter. Her eyes had become guarded, and she looked as though she was near tears.

"Forgive me," he said, his tone still a bit harsh, "but discerning the owl could have been vital. I shouldn't have expected you to be able to identify it." Her expression did not change, and he added hastily, "I apologize."

"Oh, good for you, Severus!" Albus beamed.

Aurora smiled at the pleasure in the old man's tone, and she looked up at her father hopefully.

"So what do we do now?"

"We can only go on as we have, I'm afraid," Albus interjected. "We still aren't positive who is behind it all. Just try and be a bit more aware of things, my dear. Take notice of the little things, as your father has suggested. You never know when you'll spot something that will make the last piece of the puzzle fall into place."

Severus watched her as she nodded her assent, wondering why he always failed when it came to being tactful.

Albus smiled at him, then leaned over and whispered in his ear, "It's because you don't think before you speak, dear boy."

Startled, but not in the least surprised by the wizard's ability to know what he was thinking, he nodded dumbly as Albus left the room. A silence settled over the two of them before he remembered that she was there for detention. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a book, handing it to Aurora.

" _Dangerous Draughts for the Avid Adventurer?_ " she read aloud. Her eyes looked to his for answers. "You're letting me make something dangerous?" she asked, her voice echoing the concern he noted on her face. He smirked at her as he unlocked the supply cupboard.

"Nothing too dangerous, mind. It's only a simple, fast-acting poison." When she still didn't look convinced, he added casually, "Every Potions Master should know it." With that last bit of confidence in her skills conveyed, he watched her march purposefully over to the cabinet to get her supplies, satisfied that he had at last said something right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last two weeks of Aurora's punishment flew by, and before she knew it, she was reporting for her last detention with her father. She walked in, expecting to see the giant cauldron bubbling over a fire, and was disappointed when she saw it cold and lifeless in the corner. She gave her father a quizzical look as she set her bag down on the floor.

"We're not making a draught tonight?" she asked, her tone echoing her disappointment. Her father set the paper he'd been reading aside, then stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. Aurora had no idea what to expect as he towered over her, his expression, per usual, unreadable.

"No," he replied simply, continuing to stare down at her.

She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other as he remained silent.

"So what are we doing?" she asked hesitantly, wondering with trepidation if she'd somehow unknowingly angered him.

"You are going to sit in that chair," he instructed briskly, adding to her fears. She hastily obeyed, then looked up at him again, her uncertainty reflected in her eyes. He leaned against his desk casually and folded his arms across his chest as he cocked his head to one side to study her face. "I felt it would be impractical to have you begin any potion tonight, as your interest would not be aroused by a simple draught that required only a few hours to concoct. As such, I am choosing to assign a paper which you will complete tonight before you leave." Her spirits soared as he walked to the ornate cupboard and unlocked it.

He continued speaking as he searched through the cabinet, muffling his words. "By utilizing the books that you have used these past few weeks, you are going to devise your own potion." Her eyes lit up eagerly, and she began leafing through the books he handed her.

"Is there anything specific it has to do?"

"No, you may choose its effect, although it does have to be realistic."

"Will I get to test it out?"

"Perhaps. Not tonight, obviously, but you may land yourself another detention before too long, so it's possible." This last was spoken without any trace of humor, but Aurora noticed with satisfaction that a hint of a smile was tugging at his mouth.

Standing, she took the books into the classroom, where she would have ample room to spread out and work. Within minutes, she had formed an idea of what she'd like to accomplish: an invisibility draught.

When she voiced this to her father, he smiled and shook his head. "I should've known you wouldn't pick anything simple." She grinned impishly up at him.

"Does that mean it's all right to do?"

"As long as it's plausible."

"Well, the frozen ashwinder eggs will give it a bit of interesting color," she muttered to herself, "and the bezoar will give it some flavor, as well as counteract the poison from the wolfsbane." She worked in this fashion well into her detention and was a bit disappointed when she noticed the time. Quickly adding the finishing touches to her paper, she handed it to her father, who accepted it and began to read it at his desk. She gathered up the books, and bringing them to his desk, spoke the thought that had been on her mind all week. "Father?"

"Yes?" he replied, not looking up from her paper.

"I just wanted to say that, um, well, I've actually enjoyed spending these past few weeks with you, and I'm really going to miss coming down here every evening," she finished quickly, looking at his face to gauge his reaction.

He looked up from her paper and met her gaze unwaveringly. "And I shall miss having you here," he said quietly. For the first time in her life, Aurora saw a glimpse of the love he held for her reflected in the unfathomable blackness of his eyes. "Unfortunately," he continued, the glint eradicated as he smiled thinly, "we must distance ourselves while you are here. Unless of course, you decide to attack Mr. Malfoy again. However," he paused, pulling a large, leather-bound book from his desk and handing it to her, "this book contains the recipes for the potions you have worked on during your detentions. I have also added a few very complex potions that I felt you might enjoy studying." As she ran her fingers over the book, he added, "It would be prudent not to show it to your friends."

Aurora was speechless. He'd given her gifts before, of course, but never one that was so personalized. She ran her hand over the cover again, tracing the three letters emblazoned in gold in the corner; ARS. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked back up at her father.

"Thank you," she whispered. "It's wonderful."

"You're welcome. I want it understood that you are not to attempt any of these draughts without supervision. Am I clear?" She nodded absently as she began turning the pages. Her eyes fell on a particularly interesting potion, and she raised her eyes to her father’s face.

" _The Draught of the Unseen_? An invisibility potion?"

"I thought that might interest you," he said, giving her a small smile. "That particular potion is of my own creation. Compare it with your own - you'll be surprised at the similarities." He handed her paper back to her. "I must impress upon you that none of these are to be used in any way, shape, or form while you are at Hogwarts."

"Does your draught work?" she asked anxiously, comparing it, as he'd suggested, with her own.

"It does," he said with a smirk, "but it leaves a horrible after-taste. I'd never thought of adding the bezoar. That aside, you haven't promised me not to use those potions."

"I promise," she said eagerly, studying his face. He was smiling, an act that seemed to transform him into a completely different person. Hesitating for a brief moment, she set the book down and threw her arms around his neck. As startled as he was, he managed to give her arm an affectionate squeeze before she let go. She gathered up her books, and hurried out of the room, lest her father see the tears that had sprung to her eyes.


	26. Fears Confronted

As November passed into December, Aurora was at last able to spend more time with her friends, though their number had dropped by two since the beginning of her detentions. Jamie, who had been upset about Aurora's attack on Draco, was now even more upset with her treatment of Basil, and was refusing to talk to any of her dorm mates any longer. Basil, for his part, tried to hang on to the group, but after the end of Aurora's detentions, her constant refusal to be anywhere near him made it difficult, and he returned to his Slytherin classmates.

Aurora felt herself missing his company, especially when all of her other friends had things to do, causing her to stay up in the dorm room by herself. Erin and Ron had begun to take evening strolls around the Hogwarts grounds, for a little 'alone time', and Harry and Hermione had lately taken to staying in the library for hours on end, though she was constantly turned down in her offer to help them in whatever they were searching for.

"It's nothing, really," Harry would say as he shuffled his feet.

"Yeah, just something we've got to do on our own," Hermione would add annoyingly.

Kim, out of necessity, had found friendship in Megan Jones, a first year Hufflepuff she'd met through their joint Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. She'd been tired of being the odd one out, and as Aurora couldn't stand being in the same room with the Hufflepuff for more than two minutes, combined with the fact that she'd promised not to wander around on her own, she was left to the solitude of the dorms.

Most nights she leafed through the book her father had given her, one part of her itching to try them out, and another wishing she could discuss them with him. After one too many close calls with her friends coming back as she was in the middle of perusing it, she reluctantly decided only to get it out when she knew she had absolute privacy, which meant most of her time after dinner was spent thinking.

She thought about how much fun she had teaching Basil Muggle magic; of the talks she had always had with Steven; of the fact that she hadn’t heard a word from her godfather in months.

She was in this frame of mind two weeks before the Christmas holidays, when another thought occurred to her. She had been using the sleeping draught for nearly an entire month, surely her nightmares would be gone by now.

But when she expressed her feelings to her friends the next afternoon in the library, they immediately vetoed it.

"Aurora, you don't want your nightmares _back_ , do you?"

"Don't be stupid, Ronnie, of _course_ she doesn't want them back," Erin reprimanded. "Think it over a little more before you decide, okay Aurora?"

Aurora looked at them, the puzzlement she felt evident on her face.

"Honestly, you guys, stop worrying so much. If I have a nightmare, I'll just take some draught when I wake up. No big deal, right?"

"You _do_ remember your nightmares, don't you?" Kim asked quietly. "I mean, why would you want to even chance that again?"

"Let's see, maybe because I don't want to spend the rest of my life dependent on this potion? Chances are that I'll build up an immunity to it anyway, so I may as well try to wean myself off of it if I can. Besides, with it being Friday, I'll have all weekend to recover." Five faces filled with worry and skepticism looked at her from around the table. "Oh, come on! What's the worst that could possibly happen?"

Ron's eyes widened, and he looked at her as though she were a ghost.

"Whenever anybody says that, something horrible _always_ happens, Aurora."

She felt a sliver of doubt creep into her mind, but brushed it aside impatiently.

"I'll be fine, guys, really. Besides, hopefully I won't even _have_ a nightmare. Won't you all feel silly tomorrow when I come to breakfast refreshed and rejuvenated?"

"More like relieved," Harry muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite the arguments with her friends about the certainty of everything being fine, Aurora could not deny that she was nervous as she stared at the bed, the moonlight casting an eerie glow on its surface. She'd stayed in the common room until well after midnight, staring into the flames and trying to work up the courage to possibly face another dream. When she felt herself starting to doze, she climbed the steps to the dormitory, where her roommates had retired long before, their soft snores drifting to where she stood in her powder blue pajamas.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed underneath the covers, wishing desperately that she had her mother's perfume to ease her anxiety. As she drew the curtains, the bright moonlight was vanquished, leaving a darkness which did nothing but add to her trepidation.

She gazed at the canopy for what seemed like hours with her heart hammering painfully in her chest before her eyes drifted shut and her breathing slowed. She felt as though she were floating through a darkness which was all around her, and her fear began to take hold once again. In the distance she could just discern a pinpoint of light, and clinging to the hope it represented, she drifted towards it. As she drew nearer, she heard muffled voices, but all her efforts to distinguish the words proved useless.

The point of light grew brighter and larger until it suddenly enveloped her, surrounding her with an ethereal blue light. The muffled voices grew louder, but she was still unable to distinguish them as she searched frantically for the way out of the blue haze. Suddenly the light vanished, and she was standing next to her parents on a bright spring day. Aurora recognized the situation as that in which the picture from her father's desk had showed. Much too soon, she was swept by them, her frantic struggles to remain proving fruitless.

She was once again standing in the street, facing her house in the fading twilight. Knowing what she was about to experience, she tried to shut her eyes from the sight, but found she could not. Glancing around, she saw her father standing next to her in the street, his eyes wild with anger and a hint of madness.

She knew what he'd find as he advanced on the house: her mother murdered, Aurora blockaded in the stairwell. But when he threw open the door, the scene that greeted him was one with which Aurora was all too familiar. She looked at her father in fear as her mother spun around from the closet door.

Her mother’s eyes were wide with terror and - something Aurora hadn't noticed before - recognition. Severus laughed cruelly as he pointed his wand purposefully at Marie's chest.

Marie reached for her wand as Severus began the Avada Kedavra curse, crying, _"Severus!"_ as the bolt of green light flew from his wand and struck her in the chest, propelling her against the wall. Aurora screamed as Marie crumbled onto the floor, where she lay, lifeless. She tried to choke back her sobs, but her father suddenly turned on her, his eyes glinting with malice, his lips curled into a sneer. Her heart raced as he directed the wand to her chest, opening his mouth to perform the curse.

"NO!" Aurora sat up in bed, screaming the word into the stillness of the dormitory. She buried her head in her hands as she heard her roommates stir. The lights came on, followed quickly by a hand drawing back the curtain from her bed. Her three companions stood there, their eyes reflecting their confusion and concern.

"Aurora, are you okay?" Kim asked softly, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Aurora shook her head as her body was wracked with sobs. Erin and Kim quickly settled themselves by her on the bed, trying to comfort her.

"M-my sleeping draught," she stammered. "I need the draught."

Jamie, who had remained standing uncertainly, rushed to the opposite side of the bed, where the draught was kept on Aurora's nightstand.

"Holy crap." The curtain on the other side was drawn back to reveal an ashen Jamie. "Aurora - I'm sorry, you must have knocked it over while you were dreaming - " There was no need for her to finish. Aurora could see the shards of the bottle on the floor, and she watched in misery as her decorative rug soaked up the remnants of her only solace. Jamie, not knowing what to say or do, went to get Professor Flitwick while Kim and Erin did their best to console her.

"It'll be okay, Aurora, we'll go down in the morning and ask Snape to make another batch."

At the mention of her father's name, Aurora began trembling violently. Erin and Kim exchanged worried glances over her head as she began sobbing again. Jamie soon re-appeared, dragging a gasping Flitwick behind her, wearing what looked like a hastily thrown-on robe and a nightcap.

"What's going on here?" he wheezed as he approached the girls on the bed.

"N-nothing, Professor," Aurora stammered, not wanting to have to relive the nightmare again.

"She's had a horrible nightmare, Professor," Erin offered, ignoring the glare Aurora shot her. "And the sleeping draught she normally takes has shattered."

"Well, we'll just have to ask Professor Snape to mix up a new batch, won't we?" he said brightly, attempting to be cheerful. Aurora continued to tremble at the thought of asking her father for anything ever again, and she felt as though she were going to be sick as she fought to shut out the memory of her dream. Flitwick looked at her curiously. "Are you quite sure you don't need to go to the Hospital Wing, Miss Rinkle?"

Aurora forced herself to stop shaking and smiled weakly at him.

"N-no, Professor. I'll be alright. I-we'll ask Professor Snape for the draught tomorrow." As she spoke the words, she felt her resolve strengthen. Dumbledore's words from the night she received her third letter came back to her - "That's the same attitude your mother would've had. Face everything head on, and to the devil with her own fear," he'd said. She squared her shoulders as she made her decision. She would go down and talk to her father in the morning, and she'd ask him about her dream.

Flitwick seemed to sense the change in her attitude, and wished them all a good night as he left the dorm.

Erin and Kim volunteered to stay up with Aurora, but she refused. "It's no good all of us being exhausted." As they crawled back into their own beds, Aurora was confident that she'd be able to face her father the next day. Her mother's final cry suddenly came back to her, and with it, a small nagging doubt. Always before she'd thought of it as a cry for help from her father, but what if it wasn't? What if it had been an accusation?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All eyes were on Aurora and her friends as they made their way down to breakfast the next morning. It became obvious why, when they took their seats, as they overhead Cho Chang and Terry Boot, both second years.

"It came from the first year girl's dorm," Cho was saying.

"Yes, but why was Flitwick there? It was nearly four in the morning!" Terry countered. Similar conversations were being carried on the entire length of the table: apparently, Aurora's cry of terror hadn't just woken her roommates. The first year girls stared at each other morosely, determined not to answer anybody's questions. Aurora piled scrambled eggs and bacon onto her plate, though she did nothing more than pick at it. She glanced up at the staff table, where her father sat, oblivious to what she'd endured the night before.

Her stomach turned somersaults every time she thought of facing him, but her decision had been made. Erin would accompany her to the dungeons after breakfast to confront her father and ask for another batch of sleeping draught. She glanced down at her plate again, thinking she might try a bit of egg, but all thought of eating flew out of her head as she stared at her food in horror. Another hourglass had formed from the bacon and eggs, though now the bottom was filled nearly half-way. She looked up apprehensively to her friends, but Erin was the only one who'd noticed anything - she was staring at Aurora in surprised confusion.

Aurora glanced up at the staff table again, noticing that her father had apparently already finished his breakfast and had gone. "Um, I think we're going to head to Snape's classroom," she said quickly, trying to hide the quaver in her voice. Erin stood and nodded as she and Aurora left the Hall, Kim and Jamie staring after them. At the top of the stairs to the dungeons, Aurora pulled Erin aside, behind a statue of Morgan Le Fay.

"Did you see it, then?"

"Of course I saw it. It happened before, didn't it?"

"Yes, but - I can't do this, Erin. I can't go down there now. What if - what if my dreams are all true?"

"It can't be, Aurora, you'll see. He'll explain it." Aurora shook her head vehemently.

"No," she whispered frantically as she felt her panic rising, "what if you're wrong? What if it was him?" She began trembling again, despite all her efforts to be brave.

"Aurora -" the two girls spun around to see Harry and Basil standing behind Erin, concerned looks on their faces.

"What's the matter?" Basil asked softly, his soft brown eyes expressing his worry. Aurora would have lied and said nothing, but found herself incapable of speech.

"Come on," Erin instructed as she pulled Aurora from behind the statue. "Let's get her down to Snape's office."

"Snape?" Harry asked incredulously. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"She ran out of the sleeping draught and had another nightmare last night," Erin said sharply as Aurora refused to budge. "Now grab her other arm, will you?" Harry did as she said, with Basil looking on anxiously.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be all right, Basil, but with the way she feels, you're really not going to be able to do much, okay?" Erin said over her shoulder as she and Harry began carrying Aurora between them.

"Move over, Erin," he said gruffly, taking hold of Aurora's other arm. Erin looked at him in surprise, but looked even more surprised by the fact that Aurora made no objection. The two boys half-supported, half-carried Aurora down the stairs to the dungeon, both of them uncomfortably aware that something was very wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sat in his office, finding himself once again debating whether he should set his daughter up to stay after class simply to talk to her, as they'd done during her detentions. As on every other occasion, he immediately vetoed the idea, coming to the conclusion that it wouldn't be right to deprive her of her friends. As he sat brooding about how he'd become a lonely man, he heard muffled voices outside of his door. There was what sounded like a brief scuffle before the knock.

"Enter," he answered, curious as to what was going on. The door opened to a sickening scene: Erin Cafferty hurried in, followed closely by Harry and Basil, who were supporting a very pale and terrified looking Aurora. Severus hurried over immediately, troubled by the haunted look in his daughter's eyes. "Explain," he demanded as he conjured a chair and raced to his supply cupboard. The boys lowered Aurora into the chair, though she had given up struggling and now devoted all her energy to trembling violently and sobbing.

"She had another nightmare last night," Erin explained hastily. "About her mother - but when she woke up, her sleeping draught was shattered. There's none left, so she and I were coming to ask you for more." Severus cursed under his breath as he handed Aurora a phial of the Draught of Peace.

"Drink it," he ordered when she hesitated. She shook her head and tried to push it away, but Severus put his hand on the back of her neck to still her movements, then emptied the phial into her mouth.

Unlike the night she'd received her second letter, the draught did very little to calm her, and his apprehension grew. "Potter, Rosier, go and fetch Madam Pomfrey. NOW," he commanded as the boys glanced at Aurora with worry. As soon as they'd gone, he turned again to Erin. "Was her nightmare different? Why is she so worked up over it?"

"Because she saw it from an observer's viewpoint," Erin said quietly, her eyes fixed on his own. “She saw you killing her mother. That's why she's so scared." Severus felt as though a jolt of lightning had been blasted through him. He turned frantically to his daughter.

"Aurora – the man in your dream was _not_ me."

"B-b-but I s-saw it," she blubbered. "Y-you killed her t-then t-turned on me." Severus felt his heart twist painfully.

"If it had been me, and I really wanted to kill you, don't you think I would have done it by now? I've had ample opportunity in the past ten years." Her sobs began to recede as she thought over his words.

"B-but the dream-"

"You saw accurate details, however -" he was interrupted by the return of the boys, followed closely by Madam Pomfrey, who began examining Aurora immediately.

"She's just a bit worked up, Severus. I presume you've already administered the Draught of Peace?" Severus nodded, then pulled the nurse over into the corner where they could speak without being overheard.

"Poppy, you don't happen to have any dreamless sleep or the like lying around do you? I only need enough for about a week."

"For Aurora?"

"Yes. Her supply has been destroyed, and I won't be getting any asphodel until Wednesday at the earliest. I cannot begin another batch until then." Madam Pomfrey shook her head apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but I have been meaning to ask you for a supply, as I used the last of mine on little Neville Longbottom last evening. He'd been having nightmares about you," she added with a hint of humor in her tone.

He looked over at his daughter as he rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how he was going to tell her she had to endure another week of nightmares before she had any relief. Sighing in frustration, he walked over to where the children waited expectantly. "You three will wait in the classroom until Miss Rinkle comes out, understood?"

Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"We'll just wait right here, Professor," he stated, leaning against the wall. Just like his father...Severus gritted his teeth, but before he could put the cheeky punk in his place, Erin was dragging Harry towards the door.

"It's okay, guys. Trust me." Harry cast one more glare back at Severus before reluctantly following Erin and Basil into the classroom. Madam Pomfrey, after checking over Aurora once again, also exited, leaving father and daughter alone for the first time in over two weeks.

“I am not a man prone to exposition,” he began. “However, I recognize that there are some things you’ve a right to know.” He took a deep breath as he had the urge to run yet again, but quelled it by pacing the length of the room. "The first thing you need to know about that night -" he stopped pacing and faced her, “I was a Death Eater." His words had the expected reaction - her breathing became shallow again, and her eyes grew large as he quickly continued. "Note the past tense," he said shortly.

“Why – “

“Not germane to the topic at hand,” he said. “I was, however, highly valued by the Dark Lord. And as privilege is wont to do, it bred jealousy among some of the others. Specifically, a man named Hector Pruitt who felt my value was not rightfully earned. I did not even know the man existed, let alone worry that he would act as he did. Nevertheless, as I was undergoing trial by the Wizengamot –“

“Wait, _what_?”

“Interupt again, and all explanations cease,” Severus said coolly.

“Sorry,” Aurora muttered. “It’s – a lot.”

“A summation, then. Pruitt was in the ministry, and knew when I was standing trial, and when it was over. He took a vial of Polyjuice potion and went to Spinner’s End, making sure he was seen by as many people as possible, and found exactly what he was looking for – your mother, alone.”

She waited a full minute, making sure he was finished before speaking. “He was trying to frame you?”

“Yes.”

“But he didn’t use your wand –“

“He was an imbecile, acting on a plan not thought through.”

“Did you kill him?”

“I did not have the opportunity.” Severus’s voice was sharp, as were his feelings against Pruitt. “I did apprehend him minutes after the first killing curse, and his wand malfunctioned when he attempted another. It struck him instead of me.”

"Good." Severus wasn’t sure if she was referring to the death of her mother’s murderer, or that he himself had not been the one to do it.

“Have you ever killed anyone?” she asked quietly, eyes flicking from her feet to his face. Large, innocent eyes. He didn’t want to answer. He didn’t _have_ to answer.

“Yes.”

Aurora blinked and inhaled deeply. “Did you kill a man named Cafferty?" she asked quietly.

"Cafferty? As in your friend Erin Cafferty?"

Aurora nodded as she continued to stare into his face. "She told us her dad was killed by a Death Eater."

"I was far from the only one in the Dark Lord’s service,” he said, annoyed.

"I know that. But – did you?”

“No,” he said flatly.

She exhaled, clearly relieved. It only increased his annoyance.

“Now that you have this information,” he said, “there is another matter I wish to bring up –“

“If it’s about Basil, I get it,” she said quietly. “I know what I need to do.”

He nodded brusquely. “And more less-than-pleasant news – you’ll have to go without Dreamless Sleep for a week or so. I cannot begin another batch until I receive my supply of asphodel. It takes quite a bit more than the apothecaries normally have on hand.”

She took another shaky breath, closing her eyes and nodding.

"It's okay. I went a month without sleep, I can do a week. No problem."


	27. Friends Again

Aurora walked out of Severus's office determinedly, smiling as her friends rushed over to her.

"Are you all right?" Basil asked softly.

"You're crying again!" Harry pointed out agitatedly.

"What did he say?" Erin asked, her bright green eyes penetrating Aurora's soft hazel ones. Aurora turned to Harry and Erin.

"I'll talk to you two in a bit, all right? I'd really like to talk to Basil alone for a few minutes." All three looked surprised at her request, but they granted it - Erin and Harry marched off towards the library, and Aurora turned to Basil as they began walking from the classroom.

They walked in silence for a few minutes while Aurora tried to come up with the words for what she felt. They'd reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room before she realized she hadn't said anything at all. Basil looked at her expectantly, his eyes not once wavering from her face. Suddenly she had an idea. "Fancy a walk around the grounds with me?" If he was startled, he gave no sign of it, but nodded his assent quickly. "Great. Meet me back up here after you've gotten your coat and gloves."

As Aurora pulled on her winter things, she thought again of what she would say to Basil once they were alone again. Tying her boots, she stood, then hurried back into the hall, where he was waiting. As they stepped out into the crisp December morning, she inhaled, the burst of clean air awakening her senses.

They walked with no particular destination in mind, and as they began to walk, Aurora finally spoke.

"I’m sorry I’ve been an idiot."

"Don't worry about it too much," he said casually, still studying her face, "I should have told you before you started teaching me Muggle magic. I'm sorry that it took Draco's threats for me to actually do it."

"Well, it's not exactly something you want to shout from the rooftops, is it?" He looked at her curiously as she fell silent.

"What made you change your mind?"

She hesitated, wondering how much she should tell him.

"Let's just say I learned some things about my own family this morning."

"From Snape?" He seemed genuinely confused, and Aurora had to speak quickly to cover her mistake.

"He knows my family pretty well, and he told me this morning that my father used to be a Death Eater." Basil stopped in his tracks.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"But you said 'used to be'. That means he isn't one anymore. That's a step above my family."

"The point is," she said as they resumed walking, "that I shouldn't have judged you by who or what your family is. Everyone's been telling me that for weeks, but I just wouldn't listen. I was bound and determined that everyone connected to Death Eaters in any way was dangerous."

"You _had_ just found out about one murdering your Mum, though," he argued. She gave him a dimpled smile as she shook her head.

"You're too sweet, Basil. There is no excuse for how I acted, and I apologize. Can we be friends again?"

"Definitely," he agreed without hesitation. She gave him a hug, glad that he'd accepted her back so easily. After she'd stepped back, she looked at where they'd stopped. They stood on the crest of a hill, across the lake from Hogwarts. From their vantage point, the view went on for miles.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered as the snow began to fall around them, cloaking Hogwarts in a veil of white.

"Yes it is," Basil agreed.

"Come on," she said, a bit reluctantly. "Let's head back before they send a search party." They walked back towards the castle, stopping only when they spotted four figures headed from the castle. "Isn't that Doofus?" Aurora asked quietly as the two of them ducked behind a boulder. "He's going into the Forbidden Forest. _Again_. What the heck's going on?"

"What do you mean, again?" She filled him in on what she and Erin had seen on the day she'd received her third letter. Basil frowned at he stared after his housemate. "We could find out," he suggested slowly. "Follow them, you know?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, not into the Forbidden Forest."

"They probably won't go that far in," he pointed out. "Draco's an enormous wimp." Aurora grinned, but still declined.

"I'd really rather not get into trouble today if you don't mind. Maybe some other day we'll follow them."

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed. "But I can't promise that I'm not going to try and figure it out. Hey!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Now that we're good friends again, we've got a lot of Muggle magic lessons to catch up on!" Aurora laughed as she thought of the box her uncle had sent her, still tucked underneath her bed.

"All right, but where will we go? Can't come out here and sit, it'd be too cold."

"Why not the Great Hall? It's pretty empty in there between mealtimes." Aurora wasn't sure she wanted to be anywhere near where her father might stumble upon them. As far as she knew, he hadn't discovered that she even _knew_ any Muggle magic, let alone that she was teaching it to someone else.

"I've suddenly had a great idea! Come on!" She dragged the bewildered boy around the castle and across the grounds.

"Wait, Aurora, where are we going?" She didn't answer, but continued dragging him across the snow-covered Hogwarts grounds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus tried to concentrate on grading the papers of his fourth year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class, but after re-reading the same paper four times, decided to return to his quarters. The morning had certainly taken an interesting turn. Aurora now knew about his past, which thankfully had not required revealing _all_ of the grisly details of his servitude. He hoped it would be a very long time before she requested _that_ knowledge. As he stepped over the threshold of his room, he heard footsteps hurrying up to him. Turning around, he nodded a greeting to Minerva, who looked quite out of breath.

"Severus, can we speak in private?" He stepped aside and swept his hand to invite her in. She brushed past him and lit the fire, barely waiting until he'd closed the door before speaking. "Filius just told me about Aurora's predicament. Will it take you very long to brew another draught?" Severus sank into the armchair, massaging his temples as he addressed her concerns.

"I cannot begin a new draught until my asphodel is brought in," he explained wearily. "She has to suffer through a week of nightmares, at least." Minerva was incensed.

"A week?"

"I know, I know. It's entirely my fault. I should have had an ample supply in the case of something like this, or at least kept a week's worth in my stocks. Even having all of my supplies would have been preferable to this." He ran his hand through his hair irritably as he thought of the suffering his lack of preparation was going to cause his daughter.

"There was no way you could have foreseen this happening. You're being too hard on yourself."

"Am I?" He leaned forward in his chair aggressively, his black eyes blazing with indignation. "Didn't Filius tell you? Her nightmare was about me."

"You?" Minerva looked perplexed. "But I thought you two had been getting on very well the past few weeks."

"We have. She dreamt about me killing Marie, then turning on her. Needless to say, she was a bit - nervous - when she came into my office this morning, held up by Potter and Rosier."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. She took it rather well. What's more, I think the incident opened her eyes to her situation with Mr. Rosier." Minerva nodded knowingly.

"It's hard to be angry at someone for being the same as you are," she remarked with amusement. "Basil Rosier has all the makings of a fine young man. Exactly the opposite of his father and grandfather in every way."

"Except that he's chums with a Malfoy," Severus observed dryly.

"Appearances can be deceiving, don't forget. For all intents and purposes, aren't _you_ friends with a Malfoy?"

"On the surface, yes. On the other hand, I don't hear anyone claiming that I've got the makings of a fine young man. Or that I'm the exact opposite of my father, for that matter." His words killed the humor in her eyes as she looked back at him.

"I said it earlier, and I'll say it again, Severus. You're far too harsh on yourself. Just as Basil can't help what his father was, you can't help how yours behaved. Take a page from Steven's book - try to forget that horrid man and get on with your life."

"It's hard to forget him when he stares back from the mirror at me every morning," he remarked, settling back into his chair.

"All right, then," she announced, turning towards the door. "I've achieved what I came for- to leave you wallowing in self-pity. I'll just be off, then." He smirked and shook his head as she left, wondering how his years as a teacher would have been without Minerva McGonagall to keep him in line and on his toes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hagrid's hut?" Basil asked in confusion as they stood on the doorstep, "What're you going to do, ask if he'll sub-let it to us?" She grinned in reply as the half-giant answered the door, beaming as he saw the two children.

"Come in, I was just putting the kettle on," he announced heartily. They took seats at the enormous kitchen table as Hagrid bustled about to get two extra cups.

"Hagrid, this is an awfully spacious hut you have here," Aurora remarked gleefully. "I'll bet you could throw marvelous parties." Hagrid guffawed loudly.

"Might look roomy to you, little one, but I'm afraid it gets a bit cramped when you're my size."

"How do you feel about Muggle magic, Hagrid?"

"Muggle magic? Never really thought about it much at all. Why?"

"Well, I've been teaching Basil here some magic tricks using stuff Steven has sent me, but now that it's so cold out, we need a new place to practice." Hagrid looked down at her, a twinkle in his sparkling black eyes.

"I think I get what you're after," he said, smiling. "How’d you like to practice here? It'd be kinda interesting to see some of those tricks. Can I ask you just one question, though?"

"Sure," they replied in unison.

"Why can't you practice in the school?" Aurora glanced at Basil briefly before addressing Hagrid.

"Because my – er, guardian - doesn't approve of it, and I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy if someone spotted us and told him what we were up to." The huge man looked at Aurora sternly.

"If it's something he won't agree with, I'm not so sure you should be doin' it here," he scolded. "What if he does find out? Then I'm in trouble as well."

"Take a chance, Hagrid. Who would tell him? Besides, you won't be doing anything wrong."

"Nothing except letting you do something he doesn't like," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Aurora. If it’ll get you into trouble, I can't have you practicing here." Aurora was dumfounded. She'd been so sure that he would say yes.

"Oh," she said, suddenly at a loss for words. "I suppose that's fair, then."

"This won't keep you from visiting me, will it?"

"Of course not," she said, forcing a smile. "We'll come to visit whenever we get the chance." She slipped down from the chair and walked over to the door.

"Tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione that they're always welcome, too," Hagrid called after her. "Haven't seen those three in ages!" After promising to remind her friends that Hagrid loved company, Aurora and Basil left the hut, wondering what to do next.

"I'm all out of ideas," Aurora muttered darkly as she kicked a clump of snow out of her path.

"We'll find somewhere, don't worry. Besides, it won't kill me to wait until it warms up if needs be." They continued on to the castle, both struggling for ideas. They were so preoccupied with their problem that they didn't notice they'd passed right by the headmaster without so much as acknowledging him. He cleared his throat loudly, causing both students to jump.

"Good morning, children. I wonder if you might do a favor for an old man," he said cheerfully. The students exchanged confused glances.

"Um, sure, Professor. What is it?" Basil asked hesitantly.

"I've noticed that my office gets rather lonesome on Saturday afternoons, say around two o'clock? I was wondering if you two wouldn't mind getting into the habit of coming to visit me at that time?" Aurora had the uncanny feeling that Professor Dumbledore was knowingly providing a solution to their problem.

"Every Saturday, Professor?" she asked.

"If you wouldn't mind," he agreed. "After all, one is never too old to learn new things, and I have a feeling you two will provide a wealth of knowledge." He smiled down at them, his misty blue eyes staring over his half-moon glasses. "Now, Mr. Rosier, if you don't mind, I would like to have a word with Miss Rinkle in private. I'll expect you at two-ish, then?" Basil nodded dumbly as he shot another glance towards Aurora, then headed off to the Slytherin common room. Once he'd left, the headmaster turned back to Aurora, the humor in his eyes nearly gone.

"Let us venture to my office, Aurora. I hear from Professor Snape that you've had another nightmare, is that correct?' Aurora nodded as they began to walk. "Do you have any idea where you're getting these memories from? The ones with your mother - you were an infant, you couldn't possibly remember her death. And now with your father - don't you find it a bit odd?"

"Yes, but I just assumed -" she frowned as they reached the statue that marked the entrance to his office.

"Fizzing Whizbees," he said quietly. The statue swung open, and the two ascended the staircase and entered his office. He conjured up an armchair for her, then sat behind his own desk. "So you've no idea why they should come to you now?"

"Because of the letters, but I was having nightmares before the second one showed the murder. Do you think the person behind the letters is influencing my dreams?" The thought of someone tampering with her mind made her feel sick to her stomach, a feeling which only intensified as the headmaster nodded gravely.

"That is precisely what I believe," he said slowly. "Which is why I asked your father to add something into your previous sleeping draught. The intent was to block outside influences on your dreams, and it seems to have worked wonders." Aurora felt a little angry that neither her father or Professor Dumbledore had bothered to tell her that they'd tampered with her sleeping draught, and her hazel eyes flashed with indignation.

"Is there any particular reason you decided not to let me in on that?" she asked tightly, tired of learning about these things _after_ they had already happened.

"We didn't want to alarm you. In order for the ingredients to react in the manner we hoped, your mind had to be relaxed. If we had informed you of the possibility of mind control, your mind would have been far too agitated."

"All right," she conceded. " It's just _really_ frustrating to know that you're always the last one to know what's going on."

"I'll keep that in mind in the future," Dumbledore said cheerily as he stood.

"Can I ask you something else, Professor?"

"Certainly."

"Why are you telling me this _now_? I'm freaked out about someone messing with my thoughts while I'm asleep. If my father adds the extra ingredients again, I'll be too worried for it to work, right?"

"Now that we know someone is definitely feeding you these images, there are stronger additions which will make your uneasiness unimportant."

"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime? My father said it would be at least a week before I can have another bottle."

"I'm afraid you will have to try your best to keep intruders out."

"Easier said than done," she muttered crossly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Aurora sat with Dumbledore, discussing the difficulties of blocking mind control, Severus was still in his quarters, staring into the fire. Minerva’s words had proved to affect him far more than he cared to admit. Her assurances that Basil Rosier was a far cry from his father only served to make Severus dwell on his own. He fought the urge to remember, but to no avail.

Even now, sitting safely in his own room at Hogwarts, Severus could hear the sound of his father’s voice raised in anger, hear the sound of his punishment, and could feel the bolts of pain rip through his nine-year-old body. He shuddered, wondering again how Steven put it all behind him. With his thoughts of his brother came the memories that Steven had always been ready to take a punishment with his older brother rather than see him suffer it alone. Severus, for his part, was known to take the blame for things that Steven had done, knowing he'd be punished, but wanting to spare his little brother the pain. Perhaps that was why Steven was able to forget so easily. Making up his mind, he took out a quill and parchment, then turned to the table to begin a letter.

_Steven -_

_I wanted to keep you current with Aurora's situation, and unfortunately, it has taken a bad turn. She knows now that I was a Death Eater, along with some of the minor details of Marie's murder. I wanted to thank you for not telling her for all these years, though I know there must have been numerous occasions when you could have. Her previous batch of Dreamless Sleep has been destroyed, and regretfully I cannot begin another until the middle of the coming week. I'm writing to you so as to stem the flow of arguments about being kept out of the loop regarding her._

_Severus_

He laid his quill aside, but as he began to roll it up, added these final words:

_Try not to worry, we're doing all that we can. Enjoy your tour._


	28. Terror Revisited

Aurora was in Dumbledore's office until just after one o'clock, at which point they both agreed it would be prudent to stop for lunch.

"Don't forget what we talked about," he instructed as they reached the Great Hall. "Every night before you go to sleep, try to think of all the good things that have happened to you. Perhaps that will keep the perpetrators at bay for now." She nodded, though she was far from confident. With Dumbledore looking at her expectantly, she forced a small smile, then went to sit at the Ravenclaw table, where her friends were nearly finished eating.

"Where've you been?" Kim asked through a mouthful of pasta.

"Talking to Dumbledore. He's letting Basil and me use his office on Saturday afternoons to practice Muggle magic." She kept her eyes on her food as she spoke, but it was obvious by the silence that followed that she'd made her friends speechless. Erin's eyes were shining with happiness, and Kim had her mouth hanging open in astonishment.

"When did you two make up?" she asked incredulously.

"This morning." She quickly filled them in on what her father had told her, saying - as she had with Basil - that their Potions professor knew her family very well.

" _That's_ why he's been so nice to you," Kim announced. "He's probably scared that your guardian would come after him if he was completely nasty. My dad talks about Melison’s classes all the time – said he was something to see when he got angry."

"Yeah, that must be it," Erin said, her sarcasm lost on Kim. Aurora grinned at her and decided to keep playing along.

"Actually, I think it would be a draw," she said, suppressing a giggle.

"You haven't really said a lot about your guardian, Aurora. What's he like?"

"Well, he's um -" She looked to Erin for help, but her friend simply grinned back at her. "I used to think he was a bit horrible, but now -" She risked a glance up at her father, who looked like he was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Professor Flitwick, "now I think it’s not that simple." She met Erin's eyes, glad for the support and relief she saw in them.

"Well, Death Eaters sure had _interesting_ work," Jamie said coldly. The others didn't say anything for a minute, surprised by the venom in her words.

"You stuck up for Basil," Aurora pointed out.

"But not his parents. Death Eaters are horrible, malicious people. I wouldn't help one if my life depended on it." Her three friends looked at her skeptically.

"Jamie, hon, you _do_ know that in all probability that Draco's father is a Death Eater?" Erin said gently.

"Again, _his father_ , not him. He can't help what his dad does."

"She's right," Aurora announced. "We can't judge Draco by his dad." Jamie smiled her thanks, then stood to walk with the topic of their conversation, who was waiting by the doors. After she'd gone, the trio exchanged looks of significance.

"You think someone she knows was murdered, too?" Kim asked as she leaned across the table.

"Probably. I'll bet there isn't a person in this school who doesn't know someone who's been tortured or killed by them," Erin replied. The three girls fell silent again, each reflecting on their own connection with the horrendous group. The quiet was broken by the arrival of Harry, Ron, and Basil, who had come to see why the girls were sitting at a completely empty table. Aurora looked up at them in surprise, as she hadn't noticed that the Hall had nearly emptied completely.

"Where's Hermione?" she asked, trying not to let her joy that the know-it-all wasn't around show through.

"Um, she's in the library," Harry said, glancing at Ron from the corner of his eye. "That's where we're going as well."

"Oh no you're not, Ronnie! You and I need to spend some quality time together!" Erin announced, standing from her bench and grasping Ron's hand possessively.

"Calm down, Erin. I've got to go and look for -" his words were cut off as Harry elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "What was that for?" he gasped.

"Yeah, why are you being so secretive for, anyway?" Aurora demanded, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Haven't you figured out by now that we find out eventually?"

"Well, better late than never, I suppose," Harry said brightly as he disentangled Ron's hand from Erin's and pulled the boy towards the staircase. "See you all later."

"Maybe we should all head up to the library and see what those three are up to," Erin suggested darkly.

"Aww, are you jealous because Ronnie is spending a lot of time with Hermione, Erin?" Kim chuckled as Erin shot her an angry look.

"I'm not jealous," she stated. "I trust Ronnie. Besides, Hermione likes Harry. Everyone can see that."

"C'mon, Basil,” Aurora said. “We'll go up to the common room to get my box o' goodies, and then we'll head over to Dumbledore's office, okay?" Basil looked relieved to get out from under the penetrating gaze of Erin and Kim, and hurried after Aurora as she headed up to Ravenclaw tower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora lay awake, finding herself once again staring at the canopy over her bed. She'd tried everything Dumbledore had suggested that morning to try and shield her mind from an outside source, but she wasn't at all sure that she'd succeeded. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she tried to figure out why someone would want her to see the details of her mother's death.

After nearly an hour of fruitless speculation, she decided to try again to block any outside influence from her mind. As she closed her eyes, she felt sure she'd succeeded. She was surrounded by the blue light from last night's dream, and she felt peaceful and relaxed as she floated through it.

Suddenly she was falling, her heart pounding in her chest and her eyes shut tight as she anticipated the landing. After what seemed an eternity, she cracked open an eye, then looked around in astonishment. She was inside a long, dark, room lit only by the torches that the men encircling her held. When she tried to move, she found that she couldn't, and looked up at them fearfully.

Most wore masks, as the apparition from her letter had, but a few were recognizable. Her father, Lucius Malfoy, and an older version of Basil whom she assumed to be his father, stared at her menacingly. All three pointed their wands at her, their mouths opening to perform a curse...

Aurora bolted upright, settling down when she realized she was in her own bed. She looked at her watch and sighed: it was only midnight. She'd been asleep for no more than two hours.

"At this rate, I'm going to be very cranky come Christmas," she muttered as she withdrew the book her father had given her from her trunk, determined that she wasn't going to waste the night feeling sorry for herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus stared at the box of supplies morosely, determined that he would never again use _Alan's Amazing Apothecary Service_ for _anything._ The fact that it had delivery by Floo network had led him to believe that it would be delivered via Floo network by an actual wizard, but he was sorely mistaken.

He returned on Wednesday afternoon from his classes to find the parcel lying on the floor, its contents strewn about in every direction. Muttering under his breath about the general stupidity of people, he gathered them into a pile, his heart falling as he noticed the bottle of asphodel shattered in the corner. He picked it up gingerly, relieved that he had just enough left to do the potion properly, then turned angrily to his desk, where he composed a letter, complete with a jinx that was sure to leave Alan wishing he'd been more careful with the Potions Master's order.

When he saw Aurora walk into the classroom on Thursday, he was glad he'd been able to begin the draught the night before. There were dark circles underneath her eyes, and she seemed distant when her friends tried to talk to her. He set the class to brewing the boil-cure draught from the beginning of the year from memory, then began walking among the students, planning on making his way over to his daughter. As he neared her desk, he saw that she seemed to be struggling to get through her potion.

"Dangit," she muttered. "The nettles are supposed to go _before_ the slugs." She was trying to rectify the situation as he arrived at her side.

"See me after class, Miss Rinkle," he commanded, though he tried to keep his voice low. "There is no way that potion is going to live up to your previous standards." She nodded, evidently too tired to even argue. The remainder of the class went by fairly smoothly, until five minutes before the bell, when Erin blew up her cauldron. Severus strode over to where the girls were standing, struggling not to smile at the scene before him.

Jamie, Erin, Kim, and Aurora were covered in the stinky brown mess. Aurora was staring at Erin reproachfully as she wiped a glob of muck off of her face. The bell rang, and he dismissed the other students, then turned again to the four girls. "A zero, then, Miss Cafferty?" he said lightly as he surveyed the girls.

" _Scourgify,_ " he muttered, waving his wand across the desk. The mess that had been on the walls, desk, and floors vanished, leaving only the students covered in filth. "Best go and clean up, girls." Jamie and Kim left immediately, chattering away about how disgusting it was to have stewed slugs sliding down their backs. Aurora and Erin remained, staring at him expectantly.

"You said you wanted to see me after class," Aurora pointed out.

"How've you been sleeping?" he asked, the concern he felt mirrored in his voice. She shrugged indifferently.

"Horribly," she admitted, "but once the draught is ready, I'll be fantastic again." She looked up at him, a worried expression on her face. "Do you think I'll need to take the potion forever?" she asked, her voice strained.

“No. We will find the person or persons behind this. And then there will be no need to continue taking the draught. I do have a new batch started. Barring any unforeseen disasters, it will be ready on Sunday morning.” He hesitated, then added, “I apologize that I was not adequately prepared."

"That's okay," she assured him, "I'm just happy that it'll be ready in time for the Christmas holidays. That'll be grand."

"I will expect you here at eight o'clock on Sunday morning, then?"

"I'll be here with bells on," she answered, grinning up at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora could barely bring herself to even try to sleep on Saturday night, she was so thrilled to be getting her draught the next day. She knew she'd better try, although the dreams she'd been having were enough to keep anyone an insomniac, the thought of being able to sleep without dreams allowed her to sink into slumber. She immediately regretted it.

As in the previous dreams she’d had that week, she was tied to a chair, surrounded by Death Eaters, her father, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Rosier being the only three she recognized. This time, however, Kim, Basil, and Erin burst through the doorway, wands brandished, as if they were going to rescue her. The group of Death Eaters stepped back to allow the trio of children to battle the trio of adults, though the men quickly had the children restrained.

" _Now you will see what happens to foolish little children,"_ Rosier hissed, directing his wand at the new prisoners. _"Crucio!"_ Aurora watched helplessly as her friends began to writhe in agony, screaming for her to help them. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to get free of her restraints.

" _Where do you think you're going?"_ Malfoy sneered, his mouth set into a grim smile as he tightened the cords that bound her. " _The fun is just beginning_. _Imperio_!" Basil was jerked to his feet as he was hit with the Imperius curse. He struggled against it, but it was no use.

 _"Avada Kedavra,"_ he shouted, the green blast from his wand flying towards Kim and striking her in the chest. She crumpled to the ground as Basil turned to Erin, dispatching her in the same fashion. Severus stepped forward and ended the grisly scene by performing the killing curse on Basil, then turned to Aurora, his eyes void of all sanity.

"NO!" Aurora sat up in bed as she had so many times before, trembling with the memory of her nightmare. It had been by far the worst one yet, and she was extremely thankful that tomorrow morning would be the end of it. As she pulled out her father's gift to her, she noticed an edge of white poking from the back cover. "Oh no," she whispered as she flipped it open to reveal precisely what she'd feared: another letter bearing her initials.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're certainly punctual," her father noted as she came bursting into his office at precisely eight o'clock that Sunday. She smiled wanly, handing him the envelope.

"I found this in the book you gave me last night," she explained, her head aching with the exhaustion she felt. Much to her surprise, he laid it aside.

"It has just a few more minutes," he said as he stirred the cauldron. "Sit, and tell me what you've dreamt about." She sat, but wasn't quite sure where to begin.

"They haven't really been about Mum," she admitted finally. "They've pretty much been about you."

"Oh?" She lowered her gaze from his, almost ashamed of what she was going to tell him.

"About you being a Death Eater," she explained quietly. Severus's body went rigid, but he continued to stir the potion as if she were talking about the weather.

"I see," he said quietly. "I assume there are things you wish to ask me about what you saw?"

"Not really. They were pretty self-explanatory." She shuddered as she thought of the previous night's dream.

"Would you mind telling me what it is you witnessed me doing?"

"They weren't real. It was mostly you, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Rosier coming after me. Last night," she paused as she remembered the dream, "last night, I watched the three of you torture Kim, Basil, and Erin. Then you came after me." He looked up at her, his mouth open in shock.

"You know that I would never -" his voice broke as he viciously stirred the cauldron.

"I know you wouldn't. It was just a stupid nightmare. Probably that same psycho who's sending the letters trying to turn me against you. Maybe that's his whole plan." She pointed to the letter still lying on his desk, "Aren't you going to open that one?"

"In time," he said, scooping the contents of the cauldron into another large bottle. He put the stopper in and handed it to her. Aurora felt a warm rush of gratitude as she saw the purple and orange swirls of color. Severus picked up the envelope and studied it intently. "This looks the same as those first few," he muttered as he turned it over and broke the seal. A burst of purple soared out of the envelope.

"Aurora, get down!" roared Severus. She didn't hesitate, but threw herself down as the blast of purple energy erupted directly over where she'd been sitting. As it drifted to the floor, another burst of light came barreling out of the envelope. From her position on the floor, she saw her father standing behind his desk, blasting the spheres apart as they exploded from the envelope at an increasingly rapid pace. As he blasted an enormous orange ball, an eerie disembodied voice came from the sparks.

_"There is no safety in numbers. You live only for my amusement. Tick tock."_


	29. A Deadly Message

The brilliant orange sparks disappeared into the envelope, the flap automatically resealing once they vanished. Severus reached down and helped Aurora get to her feet, and she saw that he looked as rattled as she felt.

"Sit down," he croaked, running his fingers through his hair and staring at the envelope, now sitting harmlessly on his desk.

"W-what were those things?" Aurora asked, her voice shaking nearly as much as her body.

"Jinxes, hexes, they could have been anything, though there's no doubt in my mind what the intent was." He moved his gaze to her, and she saw the fear she felt reflected in his eyes.

"It said there was no safety in numbers," she said. “And it’s true – this was in the book of potions you gave me. Everyone else was asleep, but they were in the room –“ her words tumbled over each other, and her breathing quickened. “If I’m not safe in my dorm –“

“Take a breath,” Severus said, laying a hand on her shoulder. He’d regained his usual composure, and that alone had a calming effect. She drew a shaky breath. “Good. They are trying to frighten you, get you scared of your own shadow.”

“Well, they’re doing a bloody good job of it,” she said through another unsteady breath.

He ignored her indecorous language. “Nevertheless, you're going to have to take extra precautions. How many of your dorm mates are staying over the holidays?"

"None. Basil, Harry, and Ron are all staying, though."

"That doesn't solve your dormitory issue," he said, pacing the room agitatedly. "And we can't have you staying in my quarters - there are too many people who would notice."

"Don’t you think it’s past the point of people knowing who I am? Whoever is doing this obviously has it figured out, and from what you said about Professor Quirrell knowing, my guess is that anyone who went to school or knew Mum is going to put two and two together. Maybe it's time to just say forget who else finds out, and do whatever it takes to keep this nutter from succeeding with whatever they’re trying to do." He stopped pacing and looked down at her, sighing.

"I've got a better idea," he said, a smile twitching the corners of his mouth upwards. "If I give you something that will alert me whenever your stress level increases, I'll be able to use the Looker to discern what the problem is."

"Like what?" He went around to his desk and began rummaging through the drawers, muttering under his breath. After a moment, he slammed the drawer shut angrily.

"I'll have to see Minerva about getting some, she's _always_ got those sort of monitoring devices."

" _What_ sort of monitoring devices are we talking about here? Another necklace?"

"Possibly. It can be anything that touches the skin, as long as a Fides charm has been placed on it. Its partner must have a Custos charm."

"What do they do?"

"As I said, the Fides charm will send a signal to the object that has had the Custos charm whenever your stress levels rise. The object with the Custos charm is usually small enough to be placed on a finger or anyplace where it will be noticed. When the stress levels rise, the other object will begin to burn a bright blue to alert the wearer of a problem. St. Mungo's uses them to monitor their patients. I'll walk you back up to your dorm, and then I'll speak with Professor McGonagall about obtaining a set. For now, just be on guard for anything unexpected. If you receive another note, come to either Dumbledore or me straight away."

"I know," she said, a little hurt that he felt the need to tell her what to do.

"All right," he said, his tone softer. "Let's get you up to your dormitory." She followed him out of the dungeons, clutching her bottle of sleeping draught protectively as they climbed up the stairs, avoiding the students who were filing into the main corridor to leave for the Christmas Holidays. The corridors were too crowded to allow them to speak freely, and Severus merely nodded as she went into the common room. She trudged up to her dormitory, grateful that solace was so near to her. Erin and Kim were busily getting their things together when she entered her room, and they smiled in relief when they saw what she held.

"Great! Old Snapey finished it as we were leaving. Couldn't he have given it to you earlier so we could enjoy a couple days without you being so crotchety?" Kim said jokingly as she tossed her schoolbooks on top of her robes.

"Very funny," Aurora said, giving her a friendly push as she set her bottle on her bedside table.

"She's right, you know," Erin said, "you _have_ been grumpy all week."

"So would you if you dreamt a bunch of Death Eaters were coming after you every night," she said irritably.

"See! There you go again!" Kim said, laughing. Aurora threw a pair of socks at her. "Thanks very much! I was wondering when you'd return those!" she beamed as she added the socks to her trunk. Erin shut the lid of her own trunk and turned to her friends.

"Come on, let's get downstairs before Nicole shows up and goes berserk because I'm not there," Erin said as she levitated her trunk and walked towards the door. Kim slammed hers shut and followed suit. Aurora followed them to the common room, where she said her goodbyes.

"Well, you two have a good holiday," she said as Jamie came into the room. The trio watched her go upstairs without so much as greeting them, then turned back to Aurora.

"Watch yourself Aurora, all right?" Erin whispered, her eyes darting fearfully towards the stairs where countless Ravenclaws were milling around, getting in the final chat with their housemates before the new year.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she assured her, giving her a quick hug.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" came a mocking voice from behind her. Aurora spun around to see David standing there, his trunk hovering in front of him, and an assortment of ink pens sticking out of his pockets. In a bizarre lapse of character earlier in the week, David had begun to leave the pens around the common room, insisting that everyone help themselves. Those who were unaccustomed with the Muggle world found them fascinating, and they were taken in droves. Much truer to character, David was constantly hovering over his housemates, inquiring after his gifts. "Are they taking the pens?" he would ask, his face tight with anxiety, "What do they say when they take the pens?" Regardless of the number of assurances from his peers that they were indeed taking the pens and that the general consensus was that they were quite spiffy, he continued to question everyone incessantly.

"Have we figured out what the big deal is with the pens yet?" Aurora questioned as David brushed past them, brandishing the writing implements at other students.

"I think he's looking for people to like him," Erin muttered as she stared at him. "They're actually very nice, but I'll take a quill over any ink pen. They write so much better." Aurora and Kim nodded their agreement as the two girls prepared to go.

"We'll see you back here in January," Kim said, giving Aurora a quick squeeze. "But don't be shy about sending an owl, okay?" She nodded and waved as her friends walked out the door, then turned and made her way back up to her dorm, anxious to bask in a blissful, dreamless sleep. Jamie nearly ran her down as the girl was leaving the dorm, but didn't stop to apologize as she sped down the stairs, her trunk following jerkily behind her. Aurora shook her head, wondering if the two would ever be friends again.

She changed into her pajamas, thinking she should have stayed in them considering how little time she'd spent in her robes, then crawled underneath the covers. Opening the bottle, she took her normal dose, noticing as she drifted off to sleep that it seemed to taste different than before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sat in his quarters, staring at the envelope he held in his hand. Who was doing this, and why? Who could possibly take pleasure in tormenting a child? He'd asked himself those questions so often that his head ached, but he still had no logical answers. The only clues they had pointed to Quirrell. The man was certainly up to _something_ this term. 

And yet, Quirrell would be the _last_ person Severus would imagine to think up something of this magnitude. Who else could it possibly be? He put his head in his hands and leaned forward as he struggled to grasp the perpetrator's identity. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door, followed by the entrance of Professor McGonagall.

"Good Evening, Minerva." She beamed down at him as she held out the objects she'd brought with her: a brilliant topaz bracelet and an equally bright sapphire ring.

"I've located that set I mentioned earlier, Severus. I thought you might like to have them as soon as possible."

"Of course, Minerva, thank you. She's most likely sleeping now, I will give her the bracelet after breakfast." Minerva took a seat next to him as she studied his face.

"You look like you could do with a bit of sleep yourself, Severus."

"Ah, well, let's just say that Aurora isn't the only one with unpleasant dreams," he said, taking a sip from his mug of cocoa.

"Did you brew some _Dreamless Sleep_ for yourself, then?" she asked pointedly. He waved his hand at her dismissively as he handed her a mug.

"No need. I'm usually up at all hours regardless of how my dreams play out. Aside from that, there was not enough asphodel remaining to brew another batch."

"It just so happens that while I was in Hogsmeade this afternoon, I picked some up for you." He smiled thinly and shook his head.

"Minerva, you know I refuse to ingest anything I have not personally prepared."

"You need to take it, and you will, even if I've got to force-feed it to you," she said calmly as she sipped her own cocoa. He arched an eyebrow as he tried to determine how serious she was.

"You don't know where it's been," he protested.

"Hundreds of wizards trust this brand, Severus. And I hardly think that Bryant's Apothecary would carry anything untrustworthy." He took the bottle from her grudgingly and examined the label.

" _Gorgin's Peaceful Sleep_ ," he read, " _containing the freshest ingredients available to wizard-kind, Gorgin's Peaceful Sleep guarantees a minimum of eight blissful, uninterrupted hours. Great for recouping from those late-night quidditch parties_." He looked up at Minerva, skepticism written all over his face. "You're joking, right?"

"I confess that the description is a bit corny," she allowed. "But look at the ingredients, if that will satisfy you. They're all the same as the one you create, with a few extras thrown in for texture and taste." He uncorked the bottle after seeing she was right, and took a tentative sniff.

"Smells all right," he admitted.

"Of course it does. Now you get straight into that bed and rest, otherwise you'll be a wreck when you should be alert for Aurora's sake." Her last argument convinced him, and he thanked her before she left, then took a swallow and fell into a blissful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora knew something was wrong as soon as she closed her eyes. Instead of the sleep void of dreams she'd been expecting and hoping for, she found herself sitting cross-legged on the floor of the loft in Dumbledore's office, with Basil sitting across from her. She was demonstrating to him how the set of metal rings worked, as she had the previous afternoon. Everything was going smoothly until the door to Dumbledore's office burst open. Aurora and Basil peeked through the railing to see what the commotion was, and she gasped as she saw her father standing directly below them, his wand leveled at Dumbledore's chest. Dumbledore was standing serenely, looking for all the world as if he didn't realize someone was threatening him.

Suddenly her father looked up, and his eyes locked with his daughter's. He wore a sneer of triumph as he swiftly ascended the stairs to loom menacingly over the two children.

 _"What is the meaning of this?_ " he demanded, spittle flying from his mouth as he raged at them. Aurora opened her mouth to explain, but no words would escape her lips.

" _We were just practicing Muggle magic, Professor Snape,"_ Basil explained hurriedly, casting a worried glance at Aurora. Severus grabbed the boy by his collar and threw him against the wall, pressing his face so that it was inches away.

 _"Muggle magic, Basil? What possible use could that have to the Dark Lord?_ " Aurora raced over to them, trying desperately to get her father's hand away from her friend's neck, but he brushed her aside easily as he let out a malicious laugh. He raised his wand up until it was pointing at the boy's face. Suddenly the scene shifted, and it wasn't Severus threatening Basil, but Lucius Malfoy. As quickly as he'd come, he was replaced by Basil's own father. The scene shifted again, and Aurora found herself pinned to the wall in Basil's place, her captor being Basil himself, his eyes holding a gleam of cruelty she'd never seen before.

 _"Crucio!_ " Aurora felt the pain ripping through her body, flowing from her stomach and spreading throughout her limbs as she sank to the floor. Basil raised his wand again, but vanished before any other words were spoken, and she was left alone in her pain. She managed to crawl to the stairs, hoping that Dumbledore would still be at the bottom, but when she finally arrived, the headmaster was nowhere to be found.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was vaguely aware of a pounding coming through the haze that had settled over his mind, but he attributed it to his headache and continued to sleep. He suddenly found himself shaking, and a squeaky, high-pitched voice saying his name over and over. He cracked one eye open, revealing a very frazzled-looking Flitwick, shaking his shoulder. The man seemed as though he were close to tears and Severus immediately sat up, blinking against the light streaming in from the window.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Severus," Flitwick wailed. "You've got to come, we didn't find her until this morning - the Hospital Wing - she wouldn't wake!" His mind now fully awake, he realized what Flitwick was saying as a sharp pain stabbed through his heart.

"Aurora?" he whispered. Flitwick had barely nodded before the Potions Master was on his feet, running towards the Hospital Wing. When he reached it, his worst fears were realized as he saw his daughter lying in the far bed, Madam Pomfrey leaning over her. "What's happened?" he demanded as he arrived at his daughter's side. Madam Pomfrey looked up at him sorrowfully.

"Severus, I'm not sure - but it looks as though she's been poisoned." Severus felt himself relax.

"Which poison? I'll go and get the antidote," he said, his heart beating more normally. Madam Pomfrey shook her head.

"I can't be sure, Severus, but I believe it was Moonseed Poison." His skin went clammy at her words.

"What makes you say that?"

"Look at her eyes, Severus, the pupils are dilated, her heart is racing, she has a fever -" the old woman's voice cracked with emotion.

"But Poppy," he said slowly, "there's no known antidote for Moonseed Poison." He knelt by his daughter, taking her hand in his own, struggling against the rise of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.


	30. Search and Rescue

Severus stood again and looked at Madam Pomfrey, his eyes searching hers for answers.

"Who found her?" he croaked.

"I did," Flitwick piped up. "She wasn't at breakfast, and when my own concerns were echoed by others -"

"What others?" Severus interrupted sharply.

"Us," came an angry reply from the doorway. Severus narrowed his eyes as he spun around to see Harry, Basil, and Ron trying unsuccessfully to get past Madam Pomfrey, who had hurried over as soon as they were spotted. "We just want to make sure she's all right!" Harry demanded. Basil shot Ron and Harry a warning look before addressing his Head of House.

"We knew that you gave Aurora another bottle of sleeping draught yesterday morning, Professor Snape, and that she'd taken it right after everyone left for the holidays. When she didn't come down for breakfast, we got worried, and told Professor Flitwick. But he never came back to tell us what was going on." He stared at Flitwick angrily.

"Yeah, and why are _you_ here, Professor?" Harry asked, his eyes burning with accusation. Severus felt immensely irritated that Potter was standing here demanding information as his daughter was lying in a bed, growing weaker every minute.

"I am _here_ , Potter, because Miss Rinkle has been poisoned." The three boys' angry stares turned immediately to concerned surprise as they gaped at Severus.

"P-poisoned?" Ron sputtered.

"Yes, Weasley, poisoned. And the longer I stand here answering questions, the longer she has to wait for an antidote."

"There _is_ an antidote, isn't there, Professor?" Basil whispered, his eyes flicking from Severus to the bed in which Aurora lay.

"Not as yet, Rosier," he snapped, trying to stave off the rising desperation he was feeling. "Now, she needs peace and quiet, and you three need to leave." They hesitated for a fraction of a second before obediently turning around and exiting the ward. As they rounded the corner, Steven came barreling up the stairs, nearly knocking the trio off their feet. Severus saw the boys look up at his brother, then saw Basil look back at him sharply before Steven shut the door behind him.

"Severus," Steven gasped as he rushed to Aurora's bedside, "Albus told me what happened. Why aren't you looking for an antidote?"

"I have also just been informed," Severus hissed, "and am on my way to begin searching."

"Then go, for Merlin's sake!" Steven shouted, turning back to Aurora. Severus gritted his teeth and held back the anger he felt as he looked down at his daughter again, her chest rising slowly with each shallow breath she took. Without another word to his brother, he stormed out of the Hospital Wing. He would find _something_ that would help her. He had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared around Dumbledore's office, her insides still twisting painfully as she struggled towards the door. She gasped in fear as she pulled the door open - instead of the stairwell leading down into the corridor, there was only a hole, the bottom of which was nowhere in sight. As she turned around to go back into the office, she found herself teetering over the edge of another precipice. She clutched the doorframe frantically, trying to balance herself on the sill, but it was beginning to tumble into the abyss. Her eyes searched for anything she could grab onto, but there was nothing but blackness surrounding the doorway that was now falling rapidly towards the unseen bottom.

The pain in her stomach suddenly flared, and she swayed dangerously as she tried to suppress it. The hurtling frame lurched to a halt, and she was thrown from its relative safety to the hard dirt floor that had appeared a few feet beneath her. She landed painfully on her left arm, and cried out as she heard her wrist snap. Pulling herself to a sitting position, she found herself leaning against the relative coolness of a stone wall, and she surveyed her new surroundings with growing trepidation.

The darkness around her was almost opaque, a small ball of light directly above her being her only source of light. The glowing sphere illuminated only a few feet in front of her, and Aurora realized that she would need to stand up and explore her enclosure if she was to entertain any thought of escaping. As if in a haze, the idea that this was all a dream and all she needed to do was open her eyes and she would be back at Hogwarts floated in her mind, but her panic only increased as she found herself unable to wake up.

Her breaths came in quick sharp gasps, and her eyes began traveling the perimeter of her circle of light wildly. She struggled to her feet, her wrist cradled against her torso protectively. Her right hand trailing against the wall for guidance, she began to walk the boundaries of her prison. Within minutes, she reached a door, and she grasped the knob and pushed, unable to suppress a cry of disappointment when it refused to budge.

"My wand," she muttered, as she searched her robes clumsily. "Where's my wand?" Her hand searched every fold, every pocket, but grabbed nothing but air at every turn. She hit the wall in frustration.

She was stuck in this dream with no means to defend herself.

Her hand again found the wall and she continued on, finding another door at about the same interval. It, too, was locked. She had no idea how long she wandered along that wall, reaching a locked door every few feet. After she reached the eighth door, she realized she had no idea where she'd started from. Though she'd counted eight doors, there might in reality be only four or five. She ventured into the center of the room, and when she found herself surrounded once again by darkness, she realized that the room was indeed very large, and she made her way back to the door she'd last left, trusting that one of them would lead her from this isolation.

It seemed to take hours to get back to the wall, and she breathed a sigh of relief when it came into view, resolutely following it once again. As she reached down to try the knob on the next door, her heart leapt to her throat as she heard the faint _click_ of the tumblers falling into place. Her joy faded as she glimpsed the room beyond, and she nearly slammed the door shut as her courage failed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus arrived at his dungeon classroom, surprised to find Ron, Harry, and Basil sitting on the desks waiting for him. They looked up as he entered, then jumped down and stood in front of the door to his office, blocking his progress. He eyed them critically, his arms crossed over his chest, his wand held loosely in his hand.

"Out of the way, boys."

"Not until you answer some questions," Harry demanded. Basil and Ron nodded emphatically.

"The longer you waste my time, the less chance Miss Rinkle has of pulling through. Now _move._ " They glanced at each other uncertainly before moving aside, though they continued to follow him as he removed the wards from his door."Ten points from each of you," he snapped as he stepped into his office. "Unless you wish to increase that number, I suggest you return to your dormitories."

The trio crossed their arms and refused to budge as he began pulling various books from his shelf. "A detention, then, as well as the loss of twenty additional points each. Shall we make it a week's worth of detentions?" They met his stare without blinking, though Ron began to falter.

"Aurora is our friend, and we want to help," Basil said, his voice unusually firm. Severus surveyed the three boys for a moment, his eyes narrowed, before sighing and shoving a stack of books towards them.

"Fine. Begin by going through those and bringing my attention to anything that mentions moonseed. That is what Aurora has been poisoned with." The boys began pouring through the books immediately as Severus got up to retrieve more from the cupboard. From time to time, one of them would point something out, but by the end of the afternoon, they had all become quite discouraged.

"There's nothing in here about _any_ antidotes," Basil said as he slammed _2000 Uses for Moonseed_ shut.

"Perseverance, Rosier," Severus said absently as he flipped through the pages on the withered tome he was searching. He stood up abruptly, causing the boys to stare.

"Did you find something?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Possibly." Severus re-read the page in front of him on bezoar antidotes. "If we administer this bezoar draught, followed by the _Fever Reliever_ , and watch her pulse closely-" he muttered as he began taking ingredients from his cabinet. He began preparing the draught, forgetting the presence of the students until Basil cleared his throat.

"Professor -"

"What?" he snapped irritably. Now that he'd found a possible solution to his daughter's problem, he was in no mood to waste any time in preparing it. Basil exchanged glances with Harry and Ron before turning back to his head-of-house.

"Who was that man that nearly ran us down on the stairs, Professor?" Basil asked, his nervous tone belying the steady stare he'd fixed on Severus.

"That is none of your concern, Rosier," he snapped, turning back to the cauldron.

"He looked an awful lot like you, Professor," Harry pointed out, his eyes and voice doing nothing to mask the mistrust he obviously felt. Severus hardened his eyes as he stared pointedly at Harry.

"That, Potter, is a coincidence. That man was a relative of Miss Rinkle's." The three exchanged glances again.

"Was it Steven?" Basil asked, his excitement evident in his voice. Severus frowned at the boy, wondering why he'd be excited to meet his brother. Choosing to ignore the question, he pointed his finger to the door.

"Out," he barked. "All of you. Now!" Ron jumped at the tone of his voice. With one last confused look towards their Potions professor, they left the room. Severus slammed the door behind them, then cast as many charms as he could think of to prevent anyone from bothering him further.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared into the room, her mouth dropping open. Flames at least seven feet high roared in front of her, blocking her further progress. Thinking that there was no possible way she would get through the towering inferno before her, she turned back towards the door. There _had_ to be an easier path through one of the doors she hadn't tried. Before she could leave, the door slammed shut, and her heart began to race as she tried the knob. Locked. She sank to the ground, her left wrist throbbing and her body aching at the prospect of battling the flames.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus waited impatiently as the draught simmered, occasionally glancing at his watch, frustrated by its slow progress. His solitude was interrupted by a hurried knock on his office door.

He ignored it, intent on the task before him. The knock came again, more persistently, but still he refused to answer it. After a moment of silence, in which he assumed the visitor had left, he heard muffled muttering, and the door swung open of its own accord. Severus swung to face the intruder, scowling as he recognized Malichi.

The older wizard wore a look of exhaustion, as though he’d travelled a long distance in a very short time, but his eyes were sharp as they found Severus’.

“I’ve just come from the Hospital Wing,” he intoned. Severus searched his friend’s face anxiously.

"She's not -" Malichi waved his hand.

"No, she's still alive. But barely. Have you found the answer yet, son?"

"I believe so. I can't be sure until we try it. At the very least, it won’t make anything worse."

”Thank Merlin for that,” Malichi mumbled, crossing the room to look through the books open on Severus’ desk. “She’s weak, son. It’ll have to be soon –“

"Half an hour," the younger man interrupted.

"Good," he said emphatically as he joined Severus by the cauldron. "I have to be honest with you, Severus - I doubt she would make it on her own."

Severus jerked his gaze up to Malichi, feeling cold now that his own fears had been voiced by another.

"This is a simple bezoar draught," he explained hastily, in an effort to control his emotions. "Once it is administered, it should dispel most of the poison."

”Albus tells me the poison has been in her bloodstream for over thirty hours,”Malichi observed quietly. “What do you intend to follow the bezoar draught?”

“ _Fever Reliever_ ,” he replied shortly, glancing at his watch again. Twenty minutes. Severus slammed his hands angrily on his desk. "I should have been watching her more closely," he said through gritted teeth, voicing the thought that had been running in his head all day. Malichi laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

”Perhaps,” he allowed. “But what good would it have done? Using a Watcher is never a failsafe, son. You would have assumed her to be sleeping – as anyone would.” His words, however true they might be, did nothing to ease his burden of guilt.

"It's my fault, Malichi. How could I let it happen?"

”Now you listen to me,” Malichi said coldly, his eyes boring into Severus’. “This self-pitying guilt of yours is not going to stand in the way of saving that child upstairs, understand? You forget you are not the only one who cares for her. As soon as the draught is ready, we will go back to the ward and administer it, and all three of us will be there when Aurora pulls through.”

"You mean _if_ she pulls through," he said miserably, glancing at his watch. Five more minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared over her knees at the wall of fire morosely, wondering if she'd ever be able to get through it alive. She thought wearily about simply giving in to the fatigue. What would happen if she did? Maybe she'd wake up, like in a game. If you lose, the game is over, but you can always play again. Maybe if she just closed her eyes and gave up, she'd start again in Dumbledore's office - then she'd be sure that there was no other way to go before stepping into this hell again. She shut her eyes and felt her energy ebbing as the intolerable heat continued to beat down on her. Through the fog that settled over her mind, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Go away," she muttered. "I've got to start again."

"Aurora!" The urgency in the voice startled her enough to cause her to open her eyes, and she looked around, trying to see the speaker. Then she saw him - far above the flames, the face of her father was looming out of the darkness, his expression determined. "Aurora," he spoke again.

"What's going on? How do I get out of here?" Apparently, the floating head could not hear her.

"Don't give up," he instructed. "Keep fighting." His words caused something to stir deep within her, but she doubted it would be enough. She still leaned more towards giving in than going on, but his next words brought her to her feet. "I know you can do this. Keep fighting, Aurora, _please_." Please. She couldn't remember her father ever using that word, not in her entire life. It was this simple addition that gave her the strength to walk towards the fire. As she neared it, a path shimmered through the flames, showing her the way. Above her, her father's face remained to give her courage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Keep fighting, Aurora, I know you can do this. Please don't give up," Severus whispered, stroking his daughter's hair and clutching her left hand tightly in his own. He had given her the bezoar draught nearly an hour ago, but there had been no change. Steven sat on the other side of the bed, his head hanging down, having not said a word to his brother since he and Malichi had entered.

When Severus again received no response from Aurora, he sighed with frustration. "It's safe to administer the fever reduction draught now," he muttered as he stood.

"So this is how you protect her?" Steven's sharp words, full of anger and pain, shot through Severus like lightning. When he lifted his head, Severus saw his red-rimmed eyes, holding the same anguish that he felt inside. "Where were you when she was being poisoned, Severus? This never should have happened!" Malichi looked up at the brothers sharply from his post beside the inert form of Aurora.

"Don't you think I know that?" Severus hissed, his own emotions boiling to the surface. "Do you honestly think I stood idly by and _let_ it happen?"

"It seems that way when you it takes nearly twenty-four hours to discover she's been poisoned! You should have been keeping a closer watch on her, especially since her friends have gone for two weeks!" Steven shouted, ignoring Malichi’s stare.

"I know," Severus sighed, allowing his frustration and grief to overwhelm him as he leaned against the wall, rubbing his face with his hands. "Do you think I haven't gone over my mistakes a hundred times today? How, if I had checked on her with the Watcher even _once_ yesterday, I would have noticed how shallow her breathing was? How I should have had Filius take the bracelet with the Fides charm on it to her as soon as Minerva gave it to me? How I never should have brought her to Hogwarts? How she would have been better off if I'd gone to Azkaban, or never knew she existed, seeing as how I have proven yet again that I cannot protect my family from harm?"

He sank to the floor and put his head in his hands. His mind barely registered the sound of the chair creaking and footsteps drawing closer to him before he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked into his brother's face, now devoid of anger.

"You're right, Steven. This is entirely my fault."

"Merlin, Severus, I didn't -" he paused as he took a shallow breath. "Listen, I was an ass just now. You had no more way of knowing this would happen than I did, and I know that if you even suspected it, you would have done everything to prevent it." Steven glanced at the bed in which Aurora lay, and Severus could sense that his brother was struggling to keep his own feelings in check. "Everyone can pick out their mistakes _after_ something's happened. It takes a miracle to see them before something like this occurs."

"But I _should_ have seen it coming, Steven. Didn't Albus tell you about the last letter she received? It spouted jinxes and then gave a warning _."_

"He did tell me," Steven said softly, "but you can't possibly -"

"It was obviously more threatening than the others."

"You did everything you could to protect her. You can only do so much." His voice got very quiet, "Sometimes you can't protect the ones you love as well as you'd like." Severus stared into his brother's eyes, seeing for the first time the pain and scars that their childhood had left. Unlike him, Steven was able to keep it hidden, a skill Severus often wished he possessed. "If Mum were here, she'd tell you the same thing."

"If Mother was here, she'd most likely stand idly by while the poison raged through my daughter's body," Severus said bitterly, suddenly finding the strength to stand again, "I, however, will not allow that to happen." He strode over to the medicine storage cupboard and pulled out Madam Pomfrey's stash of _Fever Reliever_ , poured it into a thin phial, then walked back to Aurora's side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She didn't know how long she'd wandered through the maze of fire, but the heat was beginning to take its toll. She kept hoping that she'd see the end around every corner, but was disappointed each time when the flames continued to loom around her. The intense heat from the flames was beginning to leach her energy, and the only thing that kept her going was her father's incessant prodding for her to keep fighting. From time to time he'd leave, but was never gone for more than a few minutes before he returned, muttering the same reassurances.

She collapsed to the ground, feeling so frustrated she felt like crying. Her throat burned from the acrid smoke given off from the fire, and her tongue felt as though it were a piece of cotton. Looking around at the flames, she suddenly spotted the exit. It was still a ways off, but it gave her renewed energy as she crept towards it.

It seemed to take hours to get to the end, and when she did, she collapsed gratefully onto the stone floor, closing her eyes and drinking in the cool air emanating from the ground. There was another door in front of her, and she pulled herself up on the handle, stepping through it and away from the towering inferno.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Her fever's broken," Madam Pomfrey announced as she checked Aurora's temperature once again. "It's virtually gone now!"

"Marvelous!" exclaimed Steven. "Then it’s just a matter of time before she wakes. What would you say, Madam Pomfrey, an hour, two at the most?" Severus cleared his throat as he exchanged a meaningful glance with Madam Pomfrey and Malichi. He hated to crush his brother's hope, but he needed to know.

"She's far from out of the woods yet," he said softly. Steven's smile faded as he looked at the others’ faces.

"But I thought once her fever broke -"

"She's extremely weak," Severus explained, his voice strained. "We've done all we can for her, but she's not had a full night's sleep in over a week. She's got to find the strength to fight now."

"She'll do it," Malichi said quietly. "She's got the Snape stubbornness, don't forget." Severus smiled wanly.

"This is one occasion where I hope to Merlin that's true," Severus said, brushing a hair from her face and clutching her left hand even tighter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain in Aurora's wrist flared suddenly, and she noticed that her father's visage had not followed her into this room, though she wished it had. She had walked into the middle of the Forbidden Forest, and the strange noises and oddly shaped trees were wreaking havoc with her already frayed nerves. There was no indication of the direction she was supposed to go, so she took a deep breath and started out in the direction she'd been facing when she entered.

Without a path, the going was very rough, and Aurora had trouble discerning whether or not she was even walking in a straight line. Branches scratched her face and snagged her hair, and she could just imagine what she'd look like when she arrived on the grounds of Hogwarts. She continued pushing aside various bits of shrubberies with her right hand as she struggled through the undergrowth, and the thought occurred to her that it was odd that none of the creatures who lived in the forest had shown themselves. As if the mere thought had summoned them, she suddenly found herself nearly running headlong into a Gytrash, a huge spectral dog that Aurora had heard countless horror stories about.

She shrank back into the bushes as the dog lifted its head, sensing her presence. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to make herself as small and difficult to see as she could. A cold rush of wind passed over her, and she risked cracking her eyes open, widening them when she saw that the hound was standing directly over her, its head cocked slightly to the side. She backed away, afraid that it was sizing her up for a meal, when she tumbled over a fallen stick. Thinking the dog would go for it, she threw it with all her strength. The dog followed the stick with its eyes then turned back to Aurora, the same curious look on its face.

"N-nice dog," she stammered, still backing away. What would she do if it decided to attack? She didn't have time to think before it sprang at her, knocking her flat on her back as it began licking her face with its phantom tongue. It was a very odd feeling, not like a tongue at all, more like an ice cube being rubbed over her face vigorously. She shivered as she laughed, vastly relieved that it wasn't trying to eat her.

The thought crossed her mind that this was a dream, and maybe she could control _some_ of the variables in it, so she stood and looked up at the dog. "Speak," she commanded. The specter sat on its hind legs and stared at her, its head cocked to the side once again. She sighed. "I guess not," she muttered. "I don't suppose you know how to get out of here, do you?" The Gytrash suddenly stood and bounded through the trees, leaving Aurora trying to frantically catch up.

She followed the phantom for what seemed like an eternity, until it stopped in the midst of a clearing. Aurora had an uneasy feeling as the dog's bark rang through the air. Had she been led here for a reason? The Gytrash continued to howl, causing Aurora to doubt its intentions. It sprang away, leaving Aurora alone and frightened once again. Now what?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus stood from his chair to stretch his legs. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since he’d given Aurora the fever reduction draught, and though it had completely eradicated the fever, she still showed no signs of waking. He looked down at her, startled by how frail she was.

He grunted and began to pace the ward, Steven's irregular snoring grating on his nerves.

“You’ll wear a hole in Poppy’s floor,” Melison muttered, his eyes still closed.

Severus clenched his jaw. "I can't sit there and watch her waste away! And I can’t leave – I need to _do something_."

Melison cracked open his eyes and leveled the gaze Severus remembered all too well from school at him. "She _will_ pull through this, son."

"You, of all people, know that it is impossible to say," he snapped.

"And you, of all people, know that there’s nothing else to be done," Melison said, standing. “You need to sleep.”

"How can I sleep? I have to be there if she wakes, even if it's only for a moment." Melison shook his head and arched an amused brow. "Don't stare at me like that. If you've got something to say, let's have it."

"What good will you be to her when she wakes if you’re about to fall over with exhaustion yourself?”

"I'll be here, that's enough."

"Severus, listen to yourself. You're not rational right now. Get some breakfast, get some rest, and then sit by her side. Wearing yourself out isn't going to help her."

"But-"

"Enough," Melison said emphatically as he steered the other man to the bed next to Aurora's. "Now, you're going to take this dreamless sleep that Minerva brought up from your quarters like a good Potions professor, aren't you?"

"No. The last time I took that, I awakened to the news that my daughter was lying in the Hospital Wing."

“Then don’t take it,” he said shortly, pocketing the bottle again. “But you aren’t getting up from that bed until you’ve had some rest. I’m awake; she won't be alone,” he continued, his voice less harsh. “I’ll wake you if there's any change. Stop behaving like a first year." Severus glared at him, trying to imagine what horrible curse he could perform that would cease his meddling. Severus shook his head – while thoughts of cursing his former Head of House were commonplace, Malichi was right. And if he were more rested, he’d have recognized that sooner.

"Fine," he snapped, "but I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit." He lay on the bed and closed his eyes, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora looked around the clearing for any clue on which way to turn, but every tree looked the same, and paths stretched in all directions. Well, at least when she _did_ choose one, she wouldn't be wading through brambles. As she thought about which path to take, she was surprised by a voice coming from above her.

"Go to the left, the left!" She looked up frantically, trying to see who was speaking, but nobody was there. The words were repeated, and she realized that it was her father.

"Father? Where are you?"

"Go now! Quickly!" She didn't hesitate, but continued on to the left as he had instructed, growing fearful as she heard something bursting through the clearing behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Severus shut his eyes, he found himself looking down upon a clearing, one he knew all too well from his own school days. In the center stood Aurora, holding her left wrist to her chest and looking around frantically. Her hair was disheveled, her face and clothes were filthy, and she was bleeding from tiny cuts wherever her skin was exposed.

"Aurora," he called softly. She didn't look up, and he assumed she couldn't hear him. A quick movement caught his eye, and he saw a horrible little creature, no more than four feet tall, making its way swiftly through the brush from the right. Severus went numb as he realized it was a Pogrebin, a creature who instilled hopelessness into its victims in order to make them collapse.

"Go to the left!" he called down to his daughter. She looked around, as if searching for the origin of the voice. "Go now! Quickly!" He was relieved to see that she did as she was told, and he continued guiding her along the paths, trying frantically to keep her ahead of the beast. Just as she was nearing the final turn, he felt himself being shaken awake. He tried to call out the direction to her, but opened his eyes before he could tell if she'd heard. He looked up into the face of his brother, who was looking ashen.

"Her pulse is quickening, but her breathing's becoming steadier. I think she might be pulling out of it!" Severus said a silent thanks to whoever wished to listen, then followed Steven over to Aurora's bed. As he neared it, he heard her gasping for breath, and he looked at his brother in confusion. "Just a minute ago she was doing fine! I don't understand!"

"She took the wrong path!" Severus realized, grabbing at Malichi’s robes. “The dreamless sleep. Give it to me.”

"What are you talking about?" Malichi demanded, nevertheless handing over the phial. Severus ran back towards the bed, downing the contents in a single swallow.

"Whatever you do, don't wake me," he instructed as he took hold of Aurora's hand. His head lolled to the side as the draught took effect, and came to rest on his daughter's chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora reached the next fork, waiting expectantly for further instructions from her father. When none came, she chose the path on her right, thinking that she should be reaching Hogwarts grounds soon. It was immediately apparent that she'd chosen incorrectly, and as she turned to retrace her steps, she came face-to-face with a small creature resembling a wizened mummy.

It held out its hand, and she felt her strength and resolve draining. Her father had abandoned her, and this creature wanted her to follow him, so why not? Maybe he knew the way. Just because he was ugly didn't mean he couldn't prove to be helpful. She followed behind him as they wound their way back through the forest, though she felt her hope dying as they rounded each corner. She finally collapsed to the ground, unwilling to go further, knowing that it was useless.

The creature crept up to her and began to lick its lips as it neared. A blast of blue light came out of nowhere and flung the creature aside. With him no longer near her, Aurora felt her hope buoy once again, and she turned to her defender.

"Father?" she asked in astonishment. "Where did you come from?" Her father helped her to her feet and began steering her down the paths, looking over his shoulder every few minutes.

"Aurora, listen very carefully. You've been poisoned, and this is all a dream."

"I figured it was, but -" she stopped as his first words sank in. "I was _poisoned_? By who?"

"We don't know. We'll discuss it when you wake up. We've got to keep moving before that Pogrebin comes back."

"But I've tried. I _can't_ wake up."

"Then you’ve got to _keep_ trying," She nodded eagerly as she saw the edge of the forest looming into sight.

"I promise." As the words escaped her lips, the pair burst onto the moonlit Hogwarts grounds. Aurora turned to her father, who was beginning to fade. "Don't go yet," she pleaded. "I don't know what to do next!"

"Keep fighting," he said before vanishing completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus bolted upright next to Aurora's bed, surprised by the crowd of people that now surrounded him. Nearly all of the teachers who knew about Aurora's identity were there, with the obvious exception of Quirrell, and they all were staring down at him in shock.

"How is she?" he asked immediately.

"Her breathing has gone back to normal, but other than that - there's really been no change," Madam Pomfrey said, her tone sad.

"She's going to make it," he said emphatically. "I know she will." Dumbledore smiled knowingly at him.

"If you say it is so, Severus, then I believe you. Wouldn't it be a marvelous Christmas present if she were to wake this evening?" Severus looked up at him in alarm.

"What time is it, Albus?"

"It's nearly seven o'clock."

"That can't be right, I woke this morning -"

"You have been asleep for most of the day, Severus. It is now Wednesday, December 25th. Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," he muttered as he looked down at Aurora. "Happy Christmas, Aurora."


	31. Awakenings

A silence had settled in the Hospital Wing as the others went on about their business, leaving the three men alone with their concern. They watched over the small child anxiously, each of them knowing that she still had many obstacles to overcome. None of them spoke, unsure of how to broach the uncomfortable tension between them. Finally, Steven cleared his throat and looked up at his brother.

"How long do you think it's going to take for her to pull out of it?"

"It's impossible to tell," Severus replied wearily. He felt as though the time he'd spent guiding Aurora had actually been spent in the forest. His eyes felt grainy, and he was having extreme difficulty thinking clearly. “She's not completely out of danger yet, and with her being so weak -"

"But you said earlier that she was going to make it," Steven protested, his voice taking on a worried tone.

"Have I said anything to the contrary, Steven?" he snapped, his head throbbing painfully.

"No, but you're making it sound as if it could go either way," he replied, nearly as sharply.

"Steven, I truly believe she's going to come out of this. She was putting up a good fight, at least that's what I saw when I was there. I don't know when she'll wake up. I would tell you if I did." He rubbed his temples in annoyance as he walked over to Madam Pomfrey's medicine cabinet, searching for a headache reliever.

"Are you all right, son?" Malichi asked, his voice sounding far away.

"Fine," Severus grumbled, still fumbling through the numerous phials. He swore loudly as he knocked the bottle he'd wanted to the floor, the silky green potion pooling on the floor. His head hurt so badly that he was almost willing to lick the stuff from the floor. Almost.

" _Reparo,_ " he muttered, then replaced the now empty phial into the cabinet. Slamming the cupboard door shut angrily, he began pacing the room, feeling increasingly restless. His gut was telling him that there was something wrong, but the agony in his head was preventing him from seeing exactly what the danger was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared at the castle that loomed in the distance, wishing that her father were still beside her. With him had gone her confidence, and now Hogwarts seemed so far away. She remembered his last words to her, and she set out for the castle, her thin shoulders squared in determination. She had to remember that this was a dream as she reached the half-way point and stopped to sit on a rock, a new day dawning around her.

The distance between the woods and the castle was twice as lengthy as she remembered it being. The rising sun cast an eerie red glow to the grounds, and she shivered involuntarily as a sense of foreboding settled into her stomach. She turned back to look at the forest, alarmed to see a hulking shape lurking in the shadows, too far away to discern. Rising shakily to her feet, she began to back away, not particularly eager to find out what it was.

She'd gone no more than a few feet when the shape began to move rapidly towards her. Turning around, she began running towards the castle, trying to ignore the painful burning each time she drew a breath. Her legs screamed in protest as she ran towards the entrance, her breath coming in quick, short gasps.

She risked a glance over her shoulder to see if she could make out exactly what was chasing her, but as she turned, she was knocked flat onto her back, hitting her head on the hard ground. Her vision swam out of focus, but as she blacked out she thought she detected the faintest trace of lilacs in the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Severus!"

Severus rushed over to Aurora's bedside at the sound of Malichi’s voice. Her breath was coming in short, rapid gulps, and her pulse was racing again. The pain in his head flared again, and he struggled against it as he tried to think of a way to help her.

"Can't we give her the Draught of Peace?" Steven asked. Severus shook his head, thankful that he was coherent enough to recognize that.

"No," Malichi answered for him. "It would interact with the restorative we gave her earlier. We can't give her any other draughts, they would only cause her more pain."

"We've got to do something!" Steven replied, his voice rising in agitation. Through the veil of agony, a single thought emerged, and Severus pulled a phial from his robes. Ignoring the bewildered stare of the other men, he hurried to uncork it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some time later, she cracked open her eyes, instantly closing them against the bright sunlight that beat down on her. Her head was throbbing painfully, but she was surprised to find that she was in one piece. She opened her eyes hesitantly, expecting to see the beast standing next to her, teeth bared and ready to strike, but there was nothing but wind. The smell of lilacs grew stronger as Aurora turned to look behind her. She gasped as she came face-to-face with an older version of herself.

"It won't come back, you're safe for now."

"Mum?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus breathed a sigh of relief as Aurora's heart rate and breathing returned to normal, then replaced the cork in the bottle he was holding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Aurora stood, speechless, to look at her mother, she abruptly vanished, leaving Aurora panicked. She searched the horizon frantically, not wanting to have this opportunity end so suddenly.

"Mum? Come back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her irregular breathing returned as Severus returned the bottle to his vest pocket. Frowning, he withdrew it once again, leaving it open by her bedside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As abruptly as she'd vanished, Marie re-appeared, smiling warmly as she gazed at her daughter.

"What happened?" Aurora asked as she took her mother's hand. "Where did you go?"

"Sometimes it takes a couple of tries before your father catches on," she whispered playfully. Aurora couldn't help but stare at her mother. A thousand questions burned in her mind, but she couldn't bring one of them to pass her lips. She continued to stare at the woman who'd haunted her dreams for most of the term. "What is it, love?" Marie asked, her eyes shining. Aurora let go of her mother's hand as a tear trickled down her check.

"I miss you, Mum," she whispered, throwing her arms around her waist as she'd wanted to do her whole life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where did you get that?" Steven demanded angrily. "Did you take that from Aurora?"

"Of course not,” Severus snapped. “It was broken during Aurora’s altercation with Draco on Halloween. I thought refilling it would be a suitable gift, so I had Miss Cafferty obtain it from her trunk. Does that meet with your approval?”

Steven looked at him, nonplussed, nodding as a smile slowly crept onto his face.

Malichi put a hand on his shoulder. “Well done, son,” he said quietly. “Well done.”

Severus shifted uncomfortably, a short, perfunctory nod to his old teacher before situating himself once again in the chair next to Aurora’s bed. "I'm pleased that despite her illness, I am able to give it to her today," he muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I miss you too, love," Marie replied, a sad smile gracing her face.

"Are you going to leave again?" Aurora asked, stepping back from her mother's embrace.

"In time, I will need to return. As will you." She took Aurora's hand in her own again and began leading her away from the castle, away from Hogsmeade, away from everything Aurora perceived as a sanctuary.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the only place where you will be safe." Aurora frowned as she tried to think of where her mother could be leading her.

"All that's out there are hills," she said, her confusion evident in her voice. Marie laughed, a soft, almost tinkling sound that filled Aurora with a sense of peace.

"You've spent too much time viewing your father's actions, Aurora. Trust is the most important thing for two people to share. Remember that. Try to remind him if you can."

"I'll try," she promised, unable to take her eyes off of her mother. A gust of wind sprang up, causing Marie's scarf to billow out behind her. Aurora noticed with surprise that it was identical to her own. "You were in Ravenclaw?" she asked breathlessly. Marie nodded, her warm hazel eyes glinting with amusement.

"Didn't he ever tell you that?" Aurora shook her head as her mother sighed. "He has been taking it rather hard, I suppose? Wallowing in guilt and self-pity?"

"I suppose so. He doesn't really talk about it much." Marie shook her head as they began to climb a particularly steep hill.

"He needs to let go," she said softly. "Try and comfort him, love. Don't let him throw away his happiness by dwelling on his memories."

"I'll try, but Mum - it's so hard sometimes, trying to understand how he thinks."

"Ah," she replied with a rueful smirk. "One of the greatest mysteries of the world is how Severus Snape's mind works." They reached the crest of the hill and stopped, and Aurora realized they were standing on the same hill she and Basil had stopped on. That day seemed years past, and Aurora sighed heavily.

"Am I ever going to wake up again?" she asked her mother.

"Of course you will."

"Couldn't - I mean, if I can go back, can't you?"

"No, love. You belong in the mortal world. I haven't for quite some time." Aurora nodded and looked across the lake. Her answer had been the one she'd anticipated, but there had been a small seed of hope that was nevertheless now crushed.

"What do we do now?" Aurora asked after they'd stood in silence for a few minutes.

"We wait."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain in Severus's head began to intensify as he maintained his vigilance over his daughter. He began to pace the floor again, wondering what had brought the agony on.

"Severus, why don't you rest? You've been wearing yourself thin watching over her. I'll wake you if her condition changes, I swear it." Malichi pressed.

"What day is it?" he grumbled impatiently.

"Friday, the twenty-seventh," Steven answered immediately.

"Friday?" Severus hated to admit it, but Malichi was right. He hadn't had a decent meal in nearly a week, and his rest had been neglected for just as long. No wonder his head was pounding. "If she wakes -"

"I'll wake you. Now go lie down." Severus grudgingly complied, the fleeting hope passing through his mind that when he woke, Aurora would be well. As he stretched his long frame out onto the bed next to Aurora's, the scent of lilac that filled the room lulled him to sleep.

His eyes drifted shut, and he found himself outside of the castle, facing away from Hogsmeade. There was only one thing of interest in this direction. Without hesitation, he headed towards the spot where he felt sure Aurora would be waiting. As he walked, he wondered what would have prompted her to go there. His question was answered as he crested the hill, his breath catching in his throat.

They were standing side by side, looking out towards Hogwarts. From their viewpoint, his progress would not have been noticed, and they looked as though they were waiting for something, or someone. Their identical locks of auburn hair were floating on the breeze. Marie stood with her arm around Aurora's shoulders, and as she leaned over to speak to her, her eyes caught his.

"Severus," she said softly, "you've come."

“Marie.” His voice broke even on those two short syllables, and he stepped forward, hesitant. “Are you real, or merely a memory?”

His heart constricted as she smiled. That damn dimpled smile made the guilt flood his body again.

“I'm as real as you are in this place,” she said.

“There's so much I need to say,” Severus said, stepping forward. “So many apologies –“

Marie inclined her head towards Aurora and arched a brow at him. “I think you rushing in to protect our daughter says all that's needed.”

Severus' gaze went to Aurora, registering her confusion. He stepped closer to Marie, wanting to ask a hundred questions, all of them assaulting his mind at once.

"You need to go, both of you,” Marie said, laying a hand on his cheek. Severus put his hand over hers.

“I need to know. Marie, that day – “

Her smile faltered. “I do not regret loving you,” she said. “Or doing what I thought best for our family. Only that it took so long to see – you never changed. You have been, always, true to yourself. And your family. I should have trusted that more.”

“I never deserved you,” Severus said. He looked at Aurora. “I have always been a sad excuse for family.”

Aurora stepped up to them. "Mum, what would happen if we stayed?" she asked. It felt right, the three of them, together. Marie's expression fell as she looked from Severus to her daughter.

"You mustn’t," Marie said softly. "In fact, it's time now for you to go back."

“If you’re staying, I’m staying,” Aurora said, crossing her arms stubbornly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steven looked up as three boys entered the room, and it seemed to him that he’d seen them somewhere before. The one on the right had a shock of red hair, and looked rather nervous. Standing next to him was a slightly larger boy, both in width and height. Though he had the appearance of a thug, his eyes held a gleam of intelligence which intrigued Steven. On the left stood the smallest, a thin boy with an unruly head of hair. As the boy brushed it back nervously, Steven saw the scar on his forehead.

"You must be Harry Potter," he said, standing and extending his hand. Malichi glanced over at them, rising from his chair.

"Yes, sir," Harry mumbled, his gaze shifting from Steven's face to the inert form of his Potions professor two beds away. Steven turned to the other two boys.

"And you are?"

"Ron Weasley," muttered the redhead, looking everywhere but at Steven.

"And you?" he asked the final boy.

"Basil Rosier," he said simply, his eyes never leaving Steven's face. "You’re Steven, aren’t you?" he asked. Steven suddenly realized what a precarious situation he was in as he regarded Basil.

"I am," he replied. "Are you the Basil Rosier who wrote me that letter about Aurora?" Basil nodded, his eyes shining with what appeared to be admiration.

"We came to visit Aurora," Harry spoke up.

“Of course. She’s really doing much better than she was,” Steven said, stepping aside to allow them to crowd around her bed, and ignoring Malichi’s reproachful gaze.

"She doesn't look that ill," Ron said. Basil punched him on the arm as Harry shot him a scathing look. "What?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

"How much longer before she wakes up?" Basil asked.

"We're not sure."

"Why is he still here?" Harry asked, indicating Severus. Obviously, the animosity between the boy and Severus was mutual.

"He is the Potions Master and has been keeping an eye on Aurora with us. You see boys, I wouldn't know what to do if she took a turn for the worse. Professor Snape and Professoor Melison would.”

Harry seemed satisfied by that answer, but mumbled something that sounded like, "He shouldn't be sleeping, then." Steven felt his heart go out to these boys, who were obviously just as concerned for Aurora's well-being as the three of them were. As he was about to tell them that it was time to go, Aurora shuddered. He reached down and was startled to find that her pulse rate had dropped dangerously low. Before he could move, Malichi had rushed to Severus' bedside, shaking the younger man roughly. "Severus! Wake up! For Merlin’s sake, wake up!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora felt herself growing weaker, even as she stood with her parents. She sank to the ground as her strength left her, and her father knelt immediately.

"Aurora, what's wrong? What is it?"

"She made her decision," Marie said sadly. "In order for her to stay here, she will leave the mortal world. Don't you see? She's decided to give up." Severus looked at Aurora in horror.

"No. Aurora, hang on. Don't give up. Fight, damn it! Fight!" He shook her roughly, as if the action would invigorate her. "Marie, what can I do?"

"Guide her, Severus," she replied, her eyes filled with sadness. "Show her the way."

"I can't fail you again, Marie. I can't," he pleaded as he held their daughter in his arms. He stood to face her, holding Aurora out in desperation. She laid a hand on Aurora's forehead, then kissed him softly.

"My presence clouds your judgment, Severus. I must go now."

"No - Marie. Don't leave me alone, please."

"I've never left you, Severus. Haven't you learned that by now? I'll always be with you." She caressed his cheek before turning and vanishing into the air. Severus looked after her longingly for a moment, then heard a voice over him.

"Wake up, Severus!" His eyes snapped open to see the anxious face of Malichi inches from his own. "We're losing her, son, quickly!" He went to Aurora's side, alarmed by the weak pulse. He was too preoccupied by the situation to notice the trio of boys who stood slightly back from the bed, looking terrified.

"Aurora," his voice cracked with emotion as he grasped her hand tightly to his chest. "Aurora, listen to me. You've got to fight this. You've got to. Don't leave me too. Come back, Aurora. Fight back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A fog had settled over her mind, and she felt as though she were floating through the darkness. Out of nowhere her father's face loomed over her, shouting at her to fight. She tried to obey, but she was so tired...Suddenly it wasn't only her father's face, but those of everyone who was waiting for her at Hogwarts.

"You can do this, Aurora," Basil whispered, his soft brown eyes filled with panicked concern. Harry's startling green eyes blazed next to Basil's.

"Come on, Aurora. Fight."

"Don't give up," Ron said, his red hair appearing like a beacon through the darkness.

"Ra, you’re stronger than this. Wake up, please. "

“Piccolina, come back to us.”

She struggled again, and could feel herself pushing through the veil that surrounded her. As she broke through, she opened her eyes to find her father, godfather, and uncle leaning over her, their expressions frantic.

"Father?" The single word brought relieved smiles to the three men's faces, though none of them noticed the startled look that passed between the boys who were standing behind them.


	32. The Truth Shall Set You Free

"Bloody hell!" Severus's head snapped up at the sound of the boy’s voice, his relief at Aurora's awakening turning quickly to anger.

"Out," he snarled. "The lot of you. Out. Now!" The trio stared at him, eyes wide, but made no move to leave. Steven shot Severus an anxious stare, then stood from his chair.

"Perhaps it would be best, boys, if you let Aurora rest for a bit, eh?"

"She's been sleeping for nearly a week!" Ron protested as Malichi ushered them unceremoniously towards the door.

"Do us a favor, lads? On your way past Madam Pomfrey's office, pop in and tell her Aurora's awake." Severus helped Aurora to a sitting position as Malichi shut the door against the boys' rising protests, then hurried back over. "That's got rid of them for now," he said as he sank into his chair again.

"Morning, sunshine," Steven greeted his niece as he smiled down at her. Aurora suddenly burst into tears.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I know," Severus said quietly, smoothing her hair from her face. "Calm down, it isn't important right now."

"But we've been trying to hide it for so long, and in five seconds I go and screw it up." Sobs wracked her body, and Severus feared that she'd send herself back into a coma if she didn't stop soon. He did the only thing he could think of - he reached over and embraced her - albeit awkwardly. She clung to him, and he was acutely aware of Steven's dumbfounded stare and Malichi’s equally penetrating one as she began to calm down. He released himself from her grip and studied her face.

"It won't do to make yourself sick over it," he said as her sobs began to recede.

"How are we going to get around it?"

"Simple," he said, doing his best to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward, "I'll just have to kill them now." She looked up at him, horrified, even as Malichi laughed loudly. The horror faded from her eyes as she swatted weakly at her father's arm.

"That isn't funny," she chided.

"Don't worry too much about what's going to happen, Ra," Steven said from his chair. "Right now, all you need to worry about is getting your strength back."

Severus had to admit that he agreed with his brother. It was obvious that even the short conversation they were having had taken its toll on her.

"But they're going to wonder -"

"I am pleased that you are awake, Aurora," Severus interrupted, his voice sharper than he intended, "but my decision for your continued anonymity is as resolute as it ever was."

"Father," she said, evidently frustrated, "somebody tried to _kill_ me. Isn't it a little obvious that we need more help with this?" She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice had grown quiet, though her eyes reflected her own determination. "I trust them. They should be able to trust me, too."

His jaw clenched even tighter - he was determined not to budge.

"Mum said trust is the most important thing people can share," she went on, her eyes boring into his. "If we don't tell my friends the truth, they'll never be able to trust me again. I'm not willing to risk that."

As she spoke of her mother, Severus braced himself for the inevitable pain that came with remembering Marie, pleasantly surprised when it was absent.

 _Aurora isn't the only one who has finally opened her eyes,_ he thought to himself. _Thinking of Marie without pain can mean only one thing: I'm healing. Something I never thought possible._ He looked down at his daughter as the thought occurred to him, and he felt his resolve slowly crumbling. Then memories began flooding back, and he shook his head.

"Trust can sometimes be abused," he said softly. "The result of which is often times far worse than if it had never been given. I cannot allow you to misplace your confidence, and Potter has proven himself identical to his father. He is not worthy of your trust, Aurora."

"I would think that you of all people would be aware that a physical resemblance to one's father does not constitute a resemblance in personality, son," Malichi said softly. Severus looked up at the older wizard and was startled to see that Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick had arrived unnoticed.

"On the contrary, Malichi," Severus responded, his eyes flickering back to the older wizard. "It has been my experience that, loathsome though the idea is, similarities between a father and son seldom stop at appearances."

"Severus,” Steven began, “you don't honestly believe that you -"

"We aren't discussing me, Steven," he interrupted sharply, acutely aware of Aurora's questioning gaze.

"I don't see where Harry being like James is a bad thing," Flitwick offered. "As I remember, James was a wonderful person." Severus glared at the tiny wizard, his anger rising at Potter being defended yet again.

"Odd, isn't it," he began coldly, "how a person's death tends to romanticize his life?" Flitwick's eyes flashed angrily as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Gentlemen," McGonagall began before any more words were exchanged, "this is neither the time nor the place." Flitwick's mouth tightened, and for once, he did not look away from Severus's bullying glare.

"Honestly!" Exclaimed Madam Pomfrey as she pushed her way through the throng to reach Aurora's bed. "One would think this was a social club instead of a hospital. Come on now, out. All of you, so I can take proper care of our patient."

"She just woke up, Poppy! Do you honestly expect me to leave her now?" Severus protested immediately. Madam Pomfrey, who was quite frightening in her own right when she so chose, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"The way you're behaving now? Of course. If you promise that you'll cease bickering and focus on helping her, you can stay. Otherwise, clear off. I'm perfectly capable of overseeing Aurora's recovery. I _am_ a medi-wizard, or hadn't you noticed?” Steven spoke up before Severus had a chance to say anything.

"Of course, Poppy. He'll behave." She turned her head slightly to look at Steven, then focused once again on Severus, her deep blue eyes flashing.

"I'm glad you think so, Steven, but I was speaking to your brother," she said evenly, her head tilted to the side in expectation. Severus's lips pursed into a thin line, knowing full well that the diminutive woman in front of him was one of the few people he failed to intimidate. Before he had a chance to respond, a voice spoke from behind Dumbledore.

"I _told_ you we didn't imagine it!" The entire room turned its focus to the spot where the voice had been heard, but the speaker was nowhere to be seen.

"Shut it!" hissed another unseen voice. Dumbledore, a slight frown on his face, was staring at the spot as though he saw something the others could not. He reached out a hand and tugged at air, though as his hand returned to his side, the trio of boys was revealed, and Severus knew in an instant what Dumbledore now held in his hand.

"I'm afraid eavesdropping on your professors is not a wise use for an invisibility cloak, Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice reflecting his disappointment. "Particularly with _this_ group of professors."

"We didn't have a choice, Professor Dumbledore," Harry argued, his eyes flashing angrily at Severus.

"There are _always_ choices, Harry."

"Sometimes eavesdropping is dead useful," Ron said, his eyes flicking nervously to Severus. "Otherwise we'd have been left in the dark for a bit longer, wouldn't we?"

"Really!" Madam Pomfrey said firmly. "Miss Rinkle is not up to having all these visitors right now. All of you need to leave, this instant."

"You mean Miss Snape, don't you, Madam Pomfrey?" Basil asked softly, his eyes focused on Aurora. Severus noticed that the boy's normally subdued expression was now reflecting his inner turmoil.

 _He's disappointed,_ Severus realized. _But why? Because I'm her father, or because she never told him?_ Though Basil's eyes did nothing to indicate which was the case, the boy was undoubtedly feeling betrayed. _He bared his secrets about his family, and she kept hers. Because of me._ For the first time, he saw the effect his demand for secrecy was having on his daughter's friendships.

"That is correct Mr. Rosier. Aurora is my daughter."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared at her father in surprised delight. He'd actually _told_ them. She would never have to pretend around her friends again. An enormous weight seemed to lift from her shoulders as she turned to gauge her friends' reactions. Harry and Ron both had smug looks on their faces, though they were trying unsuccessfully to hide them, but Basil - Aurora's heart twisted painfully as she saw the pain in his eyes. The room had gone quiet as every face focused on Severus; most of the expressions as surprised as her own. Her father sat in his chair and crossed his arms as he stared at the boys, as if he were daring them to speak. Finally, someone did.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Basil asked, his voice holding no trace of the emotions revealed in his eyes.

"I wanted to, I really did. But there were -" she paused, her eyes flickering involuntarily to her father, "-factors that made it difficult."

"Like what?" demanded Harry. "We've been honest with you, why couldn't you be honest with us?"

"There are some things you just can't tell people," she said softly. "Like why you spend countless mysterious hours at the library with Ron and Hermione. I _know_ you're not studying." Harry was speechless as her words sunk in. He exchanged guilty looks with Ron, then to Aurora's surprise, his eyes went nervously to her father's face. _Is he somehow involved in this little mystery of theirs?_ She wondered. _If he is, he isn't aware of it,_ she concluded as his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You're not talking about Professor Snape being your dad anymore, are you?" Basil suddenly asked. "There's more to it, isn't there?" Aurora glanced up at her father for direction.

"You may as well tell them everything," he said coldly. "They will most likely eavesdrop on you if you don't." Aurora took a deep breath, then told them everything that had been going on, from the first time she received a letter up until the morning she was poisoned. When she was finished, her friends were staring at her in shock.

"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed loudly. "No wonder you've been a wreck all year!"

"So whoever poisoned you is the one who sent the letters?" Basil asked. Aurora shrugged, suddenly devoid of all energy. She laid her head back against her pillows and closed her eyes for a minute, jerking them open as Madam Pomfrey made her way over.

"I _told_ you this was too much for her right now," she huffed as she searched through her medicine cabinet. She hurried over, a phial of swirling green liquid in her hand. Aurora's heart raced as she brought it to her. _Are they joking? I was just poisoned, and they want me to take_ another _draught?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus looked at Aurora as she pushed away the phial, then mentally kicked himself as he realized what must be going through her mind.

"Madam Pomfrey has wards set on her supply cupboard, Aurora," he said quickly. She still didn't look quite convinced. "Steven, Malichi and I have been here from the beginning. No one would have gotten past the three of us."

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"A sleeping draught, dear. Not Dreamless Sleep, but it will allow you to get some much-needed rest." Although she still didn't look sure, she accepted the phial, then drained it. Her eyes began to droop, and he helped her lay down just in time for her to drift off.

"Well, now seems the perfect opportunity to discuss her attacker," Minerva announced.

"I agree," Albus said. "Shall we adjourn to my office? I daresay it will be a bit more comfortable. Madam Pomfrey can watch over Aurora." Madam Pomfrey nodded her approval.

"She'll be out for quite a while," she said. "When she wakes, the last thing she needs is a herd of people staring at her." Severus hated to admit defeat, but knew she was right. They all began to file out when she called him back.

"We will wait in my office, Severus. Join us when you've finished," Dumbledore offered as the remainder of the group left. He turned to Madam Pomfrey, wondering what she could want. He knew as soon as he saw the empty bottle in her hands.

"If you hadn't just been through such an ordeal, Severus Snape, I'd demand you restock my entire cupboard," she said, obviously annoyed. "Do you know how long it took me to get this headache reliever in stock? The students who use it are in _your_ N.E.W.T. classes, you know."

"I plan on replacing it as soon as I can, Poppy. For now, accept my sincerest apologies." She regarded him skeptically for a moment, then shook her head and began muttering.

"I swear," mumbled the nurse. "Just because he knows how to brew a potion he thinks he can throw my cupboard into disarray." Severus shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She knew perfectly well he could hear every word she said as he went to join the group.

When he arrived, they had just settled into the comfortable armchairs that Dumbledore had undoubtedly conjured for them. Severus took the vacant seat between Malichi and Steven, then fixed an immovable gaze on the trio of boys sitting across from him.

"I trust," he began coldly, not at all pleased with the thought of having a discussion of any sort with Potter and Weasley, "that you boys will keep what has been said up to this point, as well as what will be said in this room, to yourselves?"

"Of course!" Harry exclaimed belligerently. "Do you think we're stupid?" Severus was about to explain _exactly_ how stupid he perceived them to be when Dumbledore cleared his throat again.

"Now Harry, I realize this revelation has come as a bit of a shock - but do remember that Professor Snape is still your teacher." Severus shot Harry a triumphant look, happy that Dumbledore's remark had shut the boy up. Malichi wiped the smirk from Severus's face as he elbowed him sharply in the side.

"Do you three have any idea who could be doing this to Aurora?" McGonagall asked.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry said flatly. Steven and Flitwick both nodded their agreement.

"Judging from Aurora's letters, he does seem to have shown her the most animosity," Steven said.

"If it _were_ Mr. Malfoy, he would need access to the Ravenclaw common rooms, which he does not have," Severus pointed out. "Next?"

"You're the one who has been observing her," Steven retorted. "Who do _you_ think it is?"

"Quirrell is the one behind all of this," Severus responded, his arms folded angrily across his chest, "but I've yet to catch the fool at it."

"Why are you so sure it's Quirinus?" Dumbledore asked.

"We have already established that Quirrell is the most likely culprit behind these letters. The final warning she received was definitely a threat - the very next day she wound up poisoned."

"I agree that it is almost certain that whoever is behind this outrageous act is also the author of those messages," Dumbledore said. "However, I am beginning to have my doubts as to whether or not it is Quirinus." Severus looked at him in astonishment.

"How can you say that, Albus? He has a wider knowledge of the Dark Arts than any other person in this school."

"Not quite," Malcihi said, pointedly fixing Severus with a steely gaze.

"Are you insinuating what I believe you are?" Severus snarled as he turned on the older man. Malichi held up his hands in self-defense.

"Of course not, I was merely pointing out that you obtained most of your knowledge of the Dark Arts through books before you even attended Hogwarts. Have we completely ruled out a student being behind this?"

"Gentlemen, let me explain myself before you begin tearing each other apart," Dumbledore interrupted. "I find it highly dubious that Quirinus could be in the Ravenclaw tower at the same time that he was in my office." Severus looked at him, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"What are you talking about?"

"He and I were having a discussion in my office about the complaints I'd received from the students about the horrendous smell from his turban, from around eight o'clock in the morning until noon." The older wizard shook his head. "It takes hours to get any sense out of him these days, with that awful stutter of his."

"Then that leaves us empty-handed again, Albus. He could very well have sent his accomplice to do the poisoning."

"An accomplice?" Basil interrupted. "Why do you think there's an accomplice?"

"One of the letters Aurora received was sent by a different person," Dumbledore explained patiently. "The handwriting on the envelope was different, as well as the tone of the contents."

"Oh." He looked at the other two boys nervously.

"What is it?" Severus asked tersely.

"Well - it's just that -" he faltered as he looked to the other boys for help.

"You don't think-" Ron began.

"Not Jamie?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Jamie?" Severus asked, his eyes boring into Basil's. "Jamie Hobbs, Aurora's dorm mate?" Basil nodded after a brief hesitation. Apparently he did not relish accusing the girl of anything.

"It's just that she's got this thing for Draco," he began. "After Aurora and Draco got into that fight, Jamie started shunning her. But I thought things were getting better between them. She couldn't have done it."

"Maybe it wasn't her idea," Harry pointed out. "I bet she'd do _anything_ Malfoy asked her to." All the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place as Severus turned quickly to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, I remember an assignment Miss Hobbs did near the start of the term. It was a _very_ accurate and detailed account of the properties of moonseed." A hushed silence settled over the room as the occupants each thought of what Severus's statement meant.

"Then it has to have been her," Steven exclaimed. "I hope you will write to her parents, Dumbledore? And she'll certainly be expelled." Dumbledore held up a silencing hand, and Severus had a sinking feeling he knew what the headmaster was going to say.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Albus?" Severus asked, not even attempting to hide the bitterness in his voice. The students were looking at him thoughtfully as Dumbledore nodded.

"I'm afraid so, Severus. We cannot expel Miss Hobbs because she happened to write a paper on the plant that poisoned Aurora."

"What kind of proof do you need?" Harry asked, standing. "We'll get it."

"I still don't believe it could be Jamie," Basil said forcefully. "She's not a bad person - she even stuck up for me once. Her only blind spot is Draco."

"Exactly," Ron said. "She's got some sort of Slytherin fetish, Basil. I admit that you aren't that bad, but she sticks up for _Malfoy_." Severus felt Steven and Malichi tense next to him at the condescending tone in Ron's voice when he spoke of Slytherins. He was surprised that his younger brother was as offended by it as himself.

"Thank you, boys, for all of your help," Dumbledore said quickly as he stood. He glanced at the two brothers before continuing. "Go on back to your dormitories, and try to enjoy the rest of your holidays. Aurora should be awake in the morning if you'd like to visit again." The boys hesitated before nodding and leaving the room.

"Do you think he could have placed her under the Imperius Curse, Albus?" Flitwick asked as they left. "I agree with Mr. Rosier. Miss Hobbs is incapable of doing something of this magnitude."

"It is highly unlikely that a first-year would have the aptitude to maintain the Imperius Curse on another student, Filius," Dumbledore stated as he sank back into his chair.

"Not if that student was unaware of what was happening," Severus pointed out. "If the other student was powerful enough~"

"We're talking about eleven-year-old _children_!" Malichi exclaimed. "Do you not remember being that young, son? Even with your advanced knowledge of the Dark Arts, you’d have been hard pressed to do something this advanced that early. And if the Malfoy boy is anything like his father, he’s more bluster than anything. Do you think he would be powerful enough to send those letters? Perhaps a sixth or seventh year, or even an advanced fifth year, but not a first year. They are just beginning to use their magic on an everyday basis. They wouldn't have the confidence or the ability to create the complex spells needed.”

"Look, we could sit here and debate who is behind the letters until we're blue in the face," Steven argued, "but the fact remains that an eleven-year-old girl was poisoned. It had to be a Ravenclaw, or else a Ravenclaw gave someone the password. It had to be a _girl_ , because boys aren't able to enter the girls' dormitories. All of the clues point to this Jamie Hobbs. What other proof do you want?"

"Why don't we wait until Aurora is awake again?" Flitwick suggested. "Then she can tell us what she remembers - perhaps she'll think of a vital clue that will make all this arguing moot." The others murmured their agreement, and the group adjourned, each person leaving the meeting with their own thoughts of what would happen when the small girl woke again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to everyone who is following this, leaving kudos and reviews (past and future). It's always very much appreciated. Looks like it should be up in total by the end of the month at the latest, possibly even early next week if I power through.


	33. Changes Must Be Made

Aurora did not wake again until early the next evening. When she opened her eyes, she found herself completely alone, the Hospital Wing bathed in the somber red light from the setting sun.

She struggled to sit up, then realized she needed to get to the bathroom, and _soon_. Thinking that she'd better not chance waiting on someone to show up, she threw the covers off and swung her legs over the bed.

As her feet landed on the floor, a wave of dizziness hit her, and the floor rushed up to meet her as her knees gave way. She lay there, breathless, until the room ceased spinning, and then shakily reached up to grasp the bed frame to hoist herself up.

As she got to her feet, she heard the door at the opposite end of the room open, and she turned to see who it was, only to collapse once again. From her vantage point, she could only see two pairs of shoes rushing towards her. As a pair of strong arms lifted her from the ground, a rough voice she instantly recognized spoke.

"What are you doing?" her father hissed as he laid her back into her bed and began to check her for injuries.

"I'm fine," she managed to protest. He seemed to have reached the same conclusion as he perched on the edge of her bed and eyed her reproachfully.

"You could have been hurt, Ra," Steven chided as he sat on her other side.

"But -"

"Where did you think you were going?" her father asked, the concern in his eyes belying the rough tone of his voice.

"Bathroom.”

"Oh. Yes, well -" He cleared his throat as his face slowly tinged with pink. He looked over at Steven before reaching down and lifting her from the bed again. They walked to the facility in silence, Aurora all the while thinking of how embarrassed she would be if he decided to come into the stall with her. To her great relief, he set her down just inside the door. " _Furcillo_ ," he muttered. To her surprise, he let go and turned away.

She felt as though there was a strong arm continuing to hold her up, and as she tentatively began walking towards the nearest stall, she was pleasantly surprised to find that she didn't fall onto her face. When she had finished, she walked slowly back to where her father was waiting.

"Thanks," she muttered, slightly embarrassed by the entire incident.

"Would you like to keep the spell intact? It's powerful enough to allow you to walk back to the ward, albeit a bit slowly." She looked up at him as she shook her head.

"No, I'm already a little worn out," she said.

" _Cado._ " As he spoke the word, the invisible hand which had supported her gave way, to be replaced by her father's own capable hands. He lifted her again, and she put her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. She hadn't exactly _lied_ when she told him she was tired, but this was the real reason she hadn't wanted to walk. This was the closest she'd ever been to him.

All too soon, they reached the ward, and he set her back onto her bed. Aurora let go of his neck reluctantly, then settled herself back against the pillows, noticing that while they'd been gone, quite a few others had arrived. Professor Dumbledore was standing next to Madam Pomfrey near her medicine cabinet, Professor McGonagall stood at the foot of Aurora's bed, and Professor Flitwick was standing on a chair beside Professor McGonagall. Steven and Malichi were seated in their chairs beside her bed, and her father took the other seat as Dumbledore spoke.

"Aurora, we realize that you have been through a great ordeal, but if you feel up to it, we must ask you some questions."

"Okay."

"Tell us what you remember about Sunday morning," Severus requested, his eyes searching hers piercingly.

"Not much happened," she said after thinking for a moment. "You walked me to the common room, and then I took the draught to my dorm room."

"Did you leave it unattended at all?" Steven asked, leaning forward.

"No, Steven, someone poisoned her draught while she was standing in front of it," Severus spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I did," she answered, doing her best to ignore her father's comment. "Although it wasn't for very long."

"Where did you go?" Her father's questions were asked quickly, his voice eager, as though every answer she gave was bringing him closer to solving the puzzle.

"Just down to the common room. I was saying goodbye to Erin and Kim."

"Did you see anyone heading towards the dorms at that point?"

"Son, it was half an hour until the Hogwarts Express was set to leave. There were probably dozens of students on that stairwell," Malichi interjected. Severus glared at him as he repeated the question.

"We were too busy talking about David and his pens," she said quietly. "I didn't notice -" she stopped as she remembered that she _had_ noticed someone heading towards the dorm. "Jamie- she was going up to get her trunk while I was in the common room. When I went back upstairs, I ran into her leaving. She was in a hurry, but she was the last one left in the dorm, so she was probably afraid she’d miss the train." Severus sat straighter in his chair; Flitwick let out an anxious squeak, and McGonagall drew her breath in sharply.

"Why don't you tell us a bit more about Miss Hobbs?" Malichi prompted as the others exchanged meaningful glances that were not lost on Aurora.

"You don't think -" she stammered, her mouth hanging open in shock. "It _can't_ be her." She shook her head, her mind racing. "She's not my greatest friend right now, but she wouldn't -" a frustrated tear slid down her check as the realization hit her. "It _can't_ be," she whispered again. Steven laid a gentle hand on her arm.

"All of the signs point to her," he explained. Aurora felt fear welling up inside of her as she thought of the girl who had once been her friend attempting to kill her.

"Can you think of anything that could clear her name?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Aurora thought frantically, not wanting to believe what they were saying. Finally, she shook her head, defeated.

"Nothing," she said softly.

"Oh dear," Flitwick murmured.

"There you have it, Albus," Severus said, his voice unusually subdued. "What more do you want?" Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"We have established that it is most likely Miss Hobbs -"

"'Most likely'?" Steven gaped, standing from his chair. "Are you or are you not going to expel the person responsible for this? She should be sent to Azkaban!"

"I believe what Albus is saying," Malichi began, "is that all the evidence we have leads to Miss Hobbs being the one who poisoned Aurora. But as I pointed out, there were dozens of students milling about on the stairs. Any one of the other Ravenclaw girls could have done it. There's just no _proof_."

"So you two expect us to just sit idly by and let this girl remain _in the same room_ with my daughter every night?" Severus spat, standing abruptly and clenching his fists at his sides. "I _will_ _not_ let that happen."

"Expulsion is ultimately my decision, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. "I refuse to expel Miss Hobbs based purely on heresy and circumstantial evidence." Aurora looked between her father and her uncle anxiously. They both wore identical looks of outrage.

"Then what do you expect us to do?" Steven demanded.

“End this pointless charade, to start with,” Melison muttered. “And not be placed back into her dorm until we’re sure it is safe for her there.” He looked from Severus to Albus. “She’d be far safer in her father’s quarters at present.”

Aurora's heart skipped a beat at her godfather’s words, then looked up at her father to see his reaction. His mouth was opened slightly, and he looked stunned.

"Malichi, we can't -"

"That's an _excellent_ idea!" McGonagall exclaimed. "This way, you'll be sure nobody can harm her while she sleeps."

"Her anonymity -"

"Damn it, Severus, her anonymity is gone. Isn't it obvious?" Steven said loudly. Aurora held her breath.

"If we reveal her identity to _everyone_ ," Severus began, "it will be increasingly difficult to identify the person responsible for these atrocities."

"Severus," McGonagall said, her voice strained with frustration, "how could it possibly be worse? We have no concrete evidence on _anyone._ "

"Nevertheless -"

"Come now, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. "Don't you see-"

"I see that you are refusing to deal with the matter, Albus."

"Father -" Severus waved a hand at Aurora as he continued his tirade.

"If you will not -"

" _FATHER!"_ He stopped speaking and turned to his daughter, his mouth still slightly open. "Please don't make me stay in the dorm anymore," she requested softly, silent tears tracing a line down her cheek. "I can't pretend nothing's wrong. Please." His mouth shut as he stared at her.

"I’d rather you not have to, either." he said, his voice resuming its normal level.

"Then why are you arguing so much?" He didn't say anything at first, simply looked at Aurora, then around the room at the other teachers. Finally sinking into his chair, he looked up at Dumbledore again.

"What will you do? Make an announcement at the start-of-term feast?" he asked sarcastically.

“Seems the best way to ensure it is heard by everyone,” Dumbledore agreed. “Although, you may want to write to your friend Lucius. I daresay he won’t be best pleased hearing it from anyone else.”

"So be it," he said flatly, his head resting in his hands. Aurora felt her heart swell - she wasn't going to have to pretend ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning found Severus sitting in his office, trying to grade the papers he'd been staring at for twenty minutes. With a sigh, he laid his quill resolutely aside and began rubbing his temples. Though he knew precisely where Aurora was (with her uncle in her dorm room, gathering her belongings), he continued to agonize over her safety. He wondered if he'd ever feel as though she were safe again, and cursed himself under his breath. "This is all my doing," he muttered angrily.

"Don't be ridiculous." He looked up with a start at the form in his doorway, and smiled a rueful greeting.

"Malichi. Good morning." The former Potions professor nodded a greeting in return, then sat in the chair across from him, not bothering to wait until he was invited to stay.

"Albus has called a meeting in the staffroom," he said. Severus nodded; he'd assumed Dumbledore would want to tell the other professors before he made the 'official' announcement after the students had returned.

"Very well. I'll be right there." He made no motion to leave, and he raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Is there something else I can do for you, Malichi?"

"You can stop blaming yourself for Aurora's illness, son." Severus grunted in agitation, then stood up to make his way to the staffroom. This was not something he particularly cared to discuss. Malichi stood as he did, and blocked his path. "How is your feeling guilty going to help her in the least?"

"It isn't," he admitted reluctantly, "but apparently I cannot protect her, so how will my guilt affect her at all?"

"Don't do this to yourself. Minerva has told me the two of you have become so close over the past few weeks. Don't ruin that because of something that could not be helped."

"It _could_ have -" Malichi shook his head as he interrupted Severus.

"No, son. No matter how many times you go over that day in your head, the result will still be the same. Whether or not it could have been prevented, it happened. Move on. Trade your guilt for determination, and find the person or persons responsible for this. I know you have it in you - you're a stubborn fool, as you've proved on countless occasions." Malichi smirked at him, and Severus felt himself grudgingly giving in. "Excellent," he said, evidently sensing his imminent surrender. "Now, get up to that staff meeting and tell everyone about your daughter."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two agonizing hours later, he returned to his quarters, only to find that Steven was there alone.

"How'd the meeting go?" Steven asked casually, leafing through a book.

"Truly Hell on Earth," he muttered, sinking into a chair. "Quirrell jumped in with how he'd known as soon as he'd seen her, and wondered why nobody else had caught on yet. He took an additional thirty minutes to say two sentences, and then there was Sinastra, who insisted that it couldn't be possible that anyone would have had _my_ child."

"So it went well, then?" Steven replied, smiling. Severus shook his head in agitation.

"What are you reading?"

"It's a biography on Harry Houdini that I've looked everywhere for. It was Aurora's Christmas gift to me."

"Where _is_ Aurora?" Severus demanded, suddenly panicked.

"Don't worry, Severus - her friends came by and took her out for a bit of fresh air. She's fine." Steven hadn't even finished his sentence before Severus had turned around and swept from the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora was sitting on the steps of Hogwarts, watching her friends have a snowball fight. So many emotions and thoughts were rolling through her as she observed them. Could one of _them_ have been sending the letters? Even as she thought it, the idea seemed impossible. These were her _friends_.

 _Yes, but Jamie was your friend, too,_ she thought immediately. _But those three? No way. They've stuck their necks out for me too much._ Still, it was a bit disconcerting to think it _had_ to have been someone close to her who poisoned her. She looked down at the assortment of gifts in her lap: a box of chocolate frogs from Ron, a set of new crystal potion phials from Harry, and a book she'd had her eye on: _101 Potions for Practical Use_ from Basil. She'd found her gifts from Erin and Kim at the foot of her bed that morning, and thought of the box of asphodel that they'd gone together to get. Their note had read: _Just in case Snape ever runs out again.._

She had given the boys their gifts as well: to Harry went his own copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ , so he could stop borrowing Hermione's copy; to Ron went a Chuddley Cannons poster; and to Basil, _999 Magic Tricks to Astound your Friends!_ a book on Muggle magic. Her hand went to the present she'd made her father, stuffed inside of her cloak, and she sighed. Stowing the candy and phials in her other pockets, she stood up, eliciting worried glances from the boys.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you feeling dizzy?"

"Do you need to go back in?"

"I'm fine, guys, really. I just need to - be alone for a little bit." The three of them stared at her in shock.

" _Alone?"_ they cried in unison.

"Yes, alone. I won't go far, I just need to think about some - things." They didn't look quite convinced, and she did the best imitation of her father's intimidating stare as she continued. "Look, I appreciate that you're worried, but I've _got_ to be alone for a while."

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish?" Basil asked, his gentle brown eyes boring into her own, making her feel suddenly guilty.

"Why? Because I have a lot to think about?"

"No, because here are all these people who care about you, doing their best to protect you and make sure that you're safe, and the minute you're out from under your father's watch, you want to run off by yourself, where there won't be _anyone_ to help you." His words weren't spoken harshly, but with the same gentle tone that his eyes implied. They hit her hard nonetheless, and she sat back on the steps in frustration.

"I just – there are too many thoughts in my head right now," she moaned. "I can't think straight."

"Why don't you let one of us go with you, then?" Harry suggested. "That way, you won't be alone, but we'll promise to shut up. How's that?" Aurora looked up at him, then shrugged.

"That's fine, I guess," she said, defeated. "Who wants to come with me?" Harry looked as though he was going to volunteer, but Ron nudged him in the ribs and said something that sounded suspiciously like 'library'. Basil grinned at her.

"I'll go, then. And I grant you permission to beat me if I break my vow of silence." Aurora smiled in spite of herself, then stood up and brushed the snow from her clothes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus rushed out into the cold, realizing too late that he had left his heavy cloak and gloves in his quarters.

" _Accio cloak, accio gloves_ ," he muttered, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for his belongings to come to him. He began walking even as he pulled them on, growing worried when he didn't see Aurora or any of the three boys Steven had said she'd been with.

 _What was she thinking? And what was Steven thinking, letting her traipse around the grounds after what she's just been through?_ Glancing around, he saw two sets of footprints leading away from the castle, and he began to follow them, assuming they would lead him to his daughter.

_At least she had the sense not to go alone._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they walked with no destination in mind, Aurora thought about the events of the term. As much as she wanted to find answers, she could not believe that Jamie was the one behind it all. She thought of waking up to discover her sleeping draught had been shattered, and suddenly, she remembered that it had been _Jamie_ who'd gone to get it. Had she smashed it then? She sighed, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Basil shoot a concerned look at her. True to his word, however, he remained silent.

"Basil, can we stop for a minute?" They'd reached the hill they had visited earlier, the same hill to which her mother had directed her in her dream. "I wonder," she mused aloud.

"Wonder what?" he asked.

"This is where Mum said I was safe," she said quietly, staring across the lake at the distant Hogwarts. "I wonder what she meant?"

"Your Mum?" he asked, confused. "Aurora, I thought your Mum was dead." She turned to him, an apologetic smile on her face.

"She was in my dreams, though," she explained as she looked across the expanse again. "This is where she brought me to wait for my father."

"I still don't get it," he said. "Snape was in your dream, too?"

"Never mind," she said softly. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly and she collapsed, none too gracefully, onto the snow-covered ground. Basil knelt by her immediately.

"Are you all right?" She heard the worry in his voice, and felt her own hopelessness rise up in her.

"No!" she nearly shouted, tears spilling unheeded down her cheeks. "No, I am _not_ all right! Why is this happening to me? Why, Basil?" She looked up at him, hoping he'd have some sort of answer, but all she saw was a startled sort of fear.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, brushing her tears away angrily. "That wasn't fair." She managed to force a small smile, though it didn't seem to fool him. He sat next to her, then hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders.

"It _isn't_ fair. You shouldn't have to deal with this - nobody should. But you've got a lot of people who are trying to help you. Whoever is doing this won't get away with it. Just try to think about that, okay? Try not to think about everything that _has_ happened. Focus on what is _going_ to happen once this guy is caught." His words eased her fears somewhat, and she laid her head gratefully on his shoulder as her tears began to diminish.

"Thank you," she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus leaned against the trunk of one of the trees he'd concealed himself in once he'd crested the hill, his heart going out to his daughter, but at the same time, thinking that it should be _him_ out there consoling her. Instead, an eleven-year-old boy was doing his best to help her shoulder her burden, a burden that had been brought about by _his_ own actions. He shook his head as he stepped out of the tree line: he would not allow these two children to bear the burden of his mistakes. Walking up to them, he laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise. She looked up at him, her face immediately fearful as Basil jumped to his feet.

”I – I just wanted to go for a walk,” Aurora explained.

"It's all my fault, Professor. I volunteered to go with her - I didn't realize she'd get so tired." Severus held up his hand to silence them both, then helped Aurora to her feet.

"I am not angry with either of you," he said quietly. "I want to thank you, Rosier, for being a good friend to Aurora." He tried to ignore the shocked look on the boy's face as he continued on. "She needs friends who will be here for her, especially now." Basil nodded his agreement, though he still regarded Severus skeptically. "If you don't mind, I'd like a few words with Aurora in private." Basil gave Aurora an encouraging smile.

"I'll probably go up to the library, if you need me later," he said.

"Okay. Thanks, Basil."

Severus waited until the boy had reached the bottom of the hill before he turned again to his daughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What's that you've got there?" her father asked, pointing to the book she still held under her arm. She offered it up to him.

"Basil's Christmas gift."

"Ah. Interesting volume," he said, handing it back to her. "The edition in my collection isn't nearly as comprehensive. I might borrow it occasionally, if you don't mind." She stared at him, nonplussed.

"S-sure," she stammered.

"Speaking of gifts-" He pulled a small package from his robes and handed it to her. "Happy Christmas." She took it gently, wondering what it could contain. As she lifted the lid of the box, her eyes filled with happy tears. Nestled inside was her mother's perfume bottle, filled once again with her sweet lilac perfume. She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him. To her delight and surprise, he did not push her away. Instead, he laid his hand gently on the back of her head. She relished the closeness she felt to him at that moment, as she inhaled the scent of dried herbs and musky smoke that seemed to emanate from his robes.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she pulled away. "I've missed having this," she said, holding up his gift. She placed the bottle gently into her pocket. As she did, her fingers brushed against the softness of the gift she'd intended to give to him. She pulled out the scarf and handed it to him. "I made this for you," she explained as he took it. "It has green and silver for Slytherin, see? And then I added blue for Ravenclaw as well." She grinned at him impishly. "I thought you could do with a bit of color in your wardrobe." Her grin faltered as he remained silent, staring down at the length of cloth he held, and she had a sinking feeling that he didn't like it.

"I will wear it proudly," he said, calming her fears as he wrapped it around his neck. A silence settled over them as they stared out over the expanse leading towards Hogwarts. "This was her favorite spot, you know." Aurora looked up at him in surprise.

"Mum's?"

He nodded.

"Whenever anything bothered her, even if it were something as trivial as an exam grade, I always knew I would find her here. She said that standing up here, above Hogwarts, she felt as though nothing could harm her."

Aurora looked down at the castle thoughtfully.

"It _does_ feel different up here," she remarked, as if his mentioning it had caused it to happen.

"Merely the altitude.”

"It _isn't_ the altitude," she chided, looking up at him again. "Don't you feel it? It's like - well, I can't really describe it." She paused as she realized exactly what it was. "It’s the same feeling I get whenever I open the perfume bottle," she said suddenly. "Safe, comfortable. It's like she's with me, somehow." She looked at him, blushing slightly.

"Perhaps she is," he said, almost inaudibly. He shook his head as if to clear it, and then turned to Aurora. "You should not have travelled so far from the castle. We’ll go back now."

She shook her head.

"No, I'd rather just stay up here for a little while."

"It wasn’t a request," Severus said, his words clipped.

"I'm fine, really." She paused, and when she spoke again, she was hesitant, not sure what his reaction would be. "Will you tell me more about her?"

“You are too ill to stand out in this cold,” he responded sharply. “It will be dark soon, at any rate.” Aurora shivered as a burst of wind passed between them .

“Just a _bit_ longer, please?” He glanced down at her then, and she realized it wasn’t only the temperature that had cooled. His eyes were now devoid of all warmth as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her back down the hill. They walked in silence as Aurora pondered the man walking beside her.

He was certainly capable of love – she’d seen glimpses of it now – so why was he suddenly acting as though nothing at all had happened? She had thought – _hoped_ – that things would change, but evidently, she’d been wrong. Maybe she was wrong about a lot – maybe it was too late for change.


	34. Moving On and Moving In

They finished the walk to his quarters – now _their_ quarters – in strained silence. When they reached the room, Severus was not in the least surprised to find his brother precisely where he’d left him, his nose buried in the same book. Steven looked up at them as they entered, his smile of welcome faltering as his eyes flicked between them. Severus felt it was a credit to his brother that he –for once – kept his mouth shut.

“Father?” Severus looked down at Aurora for the first time since they’d left the hill. She was surveying the room critically, wrinkling her nose as she sighed.

"If we move your bed against that wall," she began, her face screwed up with concentration. "We'll have plenty of room for a little bed and bureau for me." Steven rose from his chair and stood next to his niece.

"I don't think your father will be able to move if we squash him in the corner," he pointed out gently. "I really don't see how there's going to be room in here for both of you." Severus leaned casually against the back of the armchair in front of the fireplace, an amused smirk on his face as he listened to the interchange between the two.

"No, look. We can move the bed to _this_ wall, and then I could sleep over there," she offered, pointing to the opposite side of the room.

"Ra, we can't put Severus's bed on this wall. It just isn't long enough. And if we have it sticking out -" Steven stopped as Severus cleared his throat. Aurora and Steven turned to stare at him expectantly.

"Are you two quite finished deciding how to rearrange my quarters?" he asked smoothly, straightening to his full height and raising his wand. " _Auctus Cubiculum_!"

He heard Aurora gasp as the room suddenly enlarged itself, growing to nearly twice its original size. Severus couldn't hide the smirk that appeared at the astonishment on their faces.

"You've been entertaining Muggles for too long, Steven. You forget what _real_ magic can accomplish." As if to prove his words, he spoke another command, and two walls sprang up to divide the room into three parts. The room they remained standing in had become a small sitting room, containing the fireplace, a desk, and two oversized easy chairs separated by a small table.

Aurora looked at her father in awe before tentatively stepping forward into the room nearest to where they stood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She knew as soon as she stepped into the room that it was meant to be hers. The standard Hogwarts canopy bed was placed next to a large arched window on the exterior wall, and the dazzling afternoon sunlight shone on the deep blue of the fabric. Next to the bed stood a small nightstand, and next to that, her bureau. She was pleased to see that there was a fireplace on the wall directly beside her, the fire already blazing away cheerily. A large bookcase, much taller than she was, graced the third wall, leaving the fourth bare. As she looked around her in amazement, her father and uncle came in to stand behind her, her trunk floating in front of them.

"Severus - this is amazing!" Steven exclaimed, allowing her trunk to fall, not quite gracefully, at the foot of Aurora's bed. She glanced at her father to see what his reaction to his brother's praise would be and found him staring intently at her.

"It's brilliant, Father. Thank you." She was pleased to see that he rewarded her praise with a rare smile that reached his eyes, and she wished that he would do it more often.

"Well," Steven began, "we have a bit of a surprise for you, Aurora. Go on and open that trunk." She looked at the two men in confusion before she did as she was told. As the lid opened, streamers and confetti streamed from her trunk, leaving the three of them covered in it.

"This is _not_ what we discussed, Steven," she heard her father grumble.

"Oh Severus, lighten up for a bit. Happy Christmas, Aurora!"

"But Christmas was last week -"

"Well, it wasn't very merry with you lying in the Hospital Wing," Steven pointed out. Silence settled over the room until Severus cleared his throat.

"Yes, well, perhaps we should not dwell on that for now. As we've all exchanged our gifts, I'll go and bring up dinner from the kitchens."

"Aren't we eating in the Great Hall?" Aurora asked.

"We thought it would be nice for just the four of us to have a Christmas dinner together here," Steven offered. "Where is Malichi, anyway?”

“Malichi is an adult, Steven. I do not feel the need to keep tabs on him.”

“Go on, then, Severus. We'll start unpacking Ra's things while you're gone." Aurora looked up at her father nervously.

"Do - would you like a hand bringing up the food?" she asked. He seemed taken aback, but immediately shook his head.

"You had best arrange your things," he said in lieu of an explanation. He left the room, and Aurora heard the unmistakable sound of the outer door being shut. Sighing, she turned to her uncle.

"Well, let's get to it," she said. "Not that there's much here, but I'd like to get it done before he comes back." Steven grinned at her.

"There's no way," he said, laughing. "I helped you pack it all up, remember?" He dodged her playful swing, then stuck his tongue out at her as she turned to her trunk.

"Let's see," she mused as she pulled out her schoolbooks and handed them to him. "Here, Mr. Comedian. Put those on my bookshelf please." He took them with a smirk and put them on the highest shelf, one they both knew she'd never reach. "Very funny," she said, then shrugged. "That's all right. I'll just levitate them down when I need them." He burst out laughing as he took them down and set them at a reasonable height.

"Ra, I've missed you," he said, throwing his arms around her and squeezing her tightly. She began giggling, then gasped for breath when he started to tickle her.

"Stop, Uncle Steven! I can't breathe!" she said between laughs.

"Not until you swear that you missed me too," he said, though he did ease his grip.

"All right, all right!" she gasped. "I missed you too!"

"Good!" he said, smiling as he released her. "And don't let that ever change," he said seriously.

"You're a goof," she said as she leaned against her bed to catch her breath.

"But I'm a loveable goof," he countered.

"Alright, Loveable Goof, let's finish unpacking. Father will be back any minute." They set in seriously to unpack her things, and she had just taken her Christmas gifts from the pocket of her coat when they heard the door shut. A moment later, Severus walked in, surveying their progress with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Looks like you've finished," he said approvingly. "Just in time for dinner." She put the set of phials on her bookcase and followed the two men from the room. When she saw the little table nearly sagging under the weight of all of the food her father had brought up, her stomach began to grumble. There was, of course, a turkey, complete with stuffing, along with mountains of mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls. Her mouth began to water as she sat down, and she wondered how on earth they were going to finish it all.

Just as she was helping herself to some turkey, the door opened, admitting Malichi. Aurora grinned in greeting as he sat at the table and tossed an envelope in front of her uncle.

“Urgent owl,” he explained as he filled his plate. “Evidently got lost on the way – he was in Minerva’s rooms.” Aurora glanced at her godfather, wondering why he would have been in Professor McGonagall’s quarters, but his gaze was focused on her uncle.

Steven eyed the envelope for a moment before opening it and reading the letter inside. He crumpled it up in agitation, then stuffed it into his pocket. Both Aurora and Severus looked at him questioningly as he continued to eat in silence.

"Bad news, Steven?" Severus asked as he took another helping of potatoes. Steven slammed his water goblet down impatiently and looked over at Aurora, his eyes filled with regret.

"I've got to return to the tour," he said flatly as he handed the letter to his brother. Severus read it silently, then set it on the edge of the table.

"You’re a grown man, Steven. You don’t _have_ to do anything." Aurora tuned out their words as she quickly scanned the letter, craning her neck over the piles of food.

_Steven -_

_I'm sorry that I have to ask you this, but I must insist that you return at once. Attendance has gone down nearly twenty-five percent since your departure, and the Muggles have begun to demand their money back. The other performers have refused to continue the tour unless you are present, as they see no point in playing to an empty house._

_I will, of course, understand if family matters prevent you from fulfilling your obligations with us, but I feel the need to stress that your reputation as a Muggle Magician is on the line. If you fail to return, I fear you will have difficulty finding a venue once you are again ready._

_Humbly,_

_Brian Appleby_

"-never thought I'd see the day Brian Appleby would threaten me," she heard her uncle say as she looked up at him. His face was dark with indignation, his gaze focused on the plate in front of him. Her father looked calmer, his demeanor seeming as though he couldn't care less if Steven stayed or went. Malichi, as he was wont to do, continued to eat, watching the exchange between the brothers.

"Then don't go," her father said simply, tracing the rim of his own goblet. "Show the little -" his eyes flicked to his daughter before they turned back to Steven, "-git that you won't stand for it. Hold your ground." Steven shook his head with frustration.

"It isn't that simple. If I don't go back, that's it. That's the end of my career. I know you look down on it, but it's what I love doing. It’s what I’m _good_ at. And Appleby has got the clout to back up his words. I'd be signing my own death warrant." He too cast a glance at Aurora. "I don't want to leave Hogwarts just yet," he said forcefully.

"Can I say something?" Aurora asked softly, her eyes darting between the two men. Severus nodded curtly, and she turned her gaze on her uncle, who was doing his best to avoid looking at her. "Uncle Steven, I'll understand if you can't be here," she said, laying a small hand on his arm. His eyes left his plate to rest on her hand, then he sighed and looked at her face.

"As soon as the tour is over, Ra - I swear, I'll come back." She smiled up at him.

"And I promise to miss you the whole time you're gone," she replied.

"Well, then there's nothing more to think about, is there?" he said darkly. "I've got to go back." He stood from his chair, and Severus shook his head as he rested his elbows on the table.

"Steven - does the tour mean so much to you that you're willing to back down to this Appleby without so much as a fight? He's asking you to jump, and you're asking how high. Let him stew for a bit. Sit down and finish your dinner." Aurora couldn't believe her ears. Her father was actually trying to get her uncle to stay longer? Steven looked as though he were having the same reaction, but he sat down and picked up his fork.

"Good," Malichi said, speaking for the first time. "Now, why don't we discuss something a bit more - pleasant? Aurora, what have your friends given you for Christmas?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening found Aurora curled up in one of the oversized chairs, clad in her pajamas and bathrobe, sipping hot cocoa and buried in _101 Potions for Practical Use_. Steven had returned to his tour directly after dinner, despite comments from her father that he should let the manager sweat a bit, Malichi had disappeared again, and Severus was sitting at the desk, writing a letter to Lucius Malfoy. He sat facing the fire, and Aurora, as he tried to come up with the words to tell his old friend that he'd kept her a secret for the last decade.

As he stared down at the blank piece of parchment, he wondered again if he should simply talk to Lucius in person, casting a memory charm on him to make him think he'd known all along, but the prospect was simply too risky. Yet having to put into words what he'd been trying so desperately to avoid revealing was a daunting task. And no doubt Lucius was upset that he’d failed to appear at the annual Malfoy Christmas festivities.

Severus was actually surprised his friend hadn’t paid him a visit yet to berate his rudeness. He hadn’t even thought to send an owl with his regrets.

He took a deep breath and set quill to parchment.

_Lucius -_

_I am writing to inform you that the girl you saw in November is, in fact, my daughter._

He stared at the words, then wadded up the paper and threw it in the fire with disgust.

_Lucius -_

_This may come as a bit of a shock -_

That, too, joined the other in the embers. He sighed and stared at his daughter, looking so comfortable and innocent in her flower-laden pajamas, then turned again to the task at hand.

_Lucius -_

_First, forgive my absence at Christmas. It was unavoidable as I was kept at Hogwarts to deal with an incident involving a student. The same student who fought with Draco at Halloween, Aurora Rinkle._

He lifted his quill, staring at the page. Shaking his head, he forged on.

_That’s not quite accurate. She was forced to attend Hogwarts under a pseudonym by her father – a great fool you know all too well – me._

_I know that this will come as a shock, perhaps even seen as a betrayal. It was never meant as such._

Here was where he had to pull out all the stops. He gritted his teeth and began the lies.

_I felt it was imperative to keep her identity secret to shield her from the gaze of certain members of the Order, who as you know have never stopped watching me since the Dark Lord’s fall. This was not possible without also keeping her existence from my close friends and true companions as well._

_It has been made impossible to keep it from them any longer, as Dumbledore has somehow discovered her, and is making an announcement at the start-of-term feast. I was forced to tell him that I had kept it secret so that the other students would not bother her as a result of their personal feelings towards myself, and the old fool believed me._

_Needless to say, I regret that I have had to keep this from you but wanted you to know before it was announced._

_You might try and break the news to Draco - I'm sure it will come as quite a shock to the boy._

_Sincerely,_

_Severus Snape_

He re-read the letter again before rolling it up and securing it with a piece of ribbon. Laying it aside on the desk, he felt his stomach churn at the prospect that Lucius would see through his web of lies, then decided he would cross that bridge when he came to it. Lucius was normally quick to accept anything Severus fed to him, and he wondered, not for the first time, if the man was playing at something.

He shook his head to try and rid himself of those thoughts, then rose from the straight-backed chair he was sitting in and walked over to the armchairs. Aurora looked up at him, offering him a small smile before she returned to reading her book.

Severus watched her for a moment, one hand on the back of her armchair. He’d been short with her on the hill, and it was for no reason other than his own discomfort when speaking about Marie. What the hell was wrong with him, keeping information about her mother from her?

"I may have something you'll find a bit more interesting," he offered. She looked up again, her finger marking her place.

"More interesting than Potions?" she scoffed. "What is it?"

"I'll be back in a moment," he said, withdrawing to his own room. He walked to his bookshelf and pulled down a set of weathered books, bound together with a length of twine, smiling to himself as he recalled their contents. Handing the books to his daughter and smirking at the mystified look on her face as she examined them, he sat back in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"What are these?" she asked, studying the titles on the bindings. _Romancing the Unicorn, Capturing the Clabbert, Dangerous Beasts: Truly Dangerous?_ She looked up at him with a start. "Mum’s?" He nodded, not surprised that she'd managed to guess their origin. She looked down at the books in her hand with a newfound interest. "Is it all right if I look through them?" she asked.

"I certainly didn’t bring them out for you to sniff and put back.”

She needed no further prompting as she untied the single strand of twine and began leafing through the first book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Throughout the three books, words were printed in the margins in a neat, precise hand which Aurora assumed had to be her mother's. Most were observations on how different classes reacted to certain creatures. In her copy of _Capturing the Clabbert_ , she'd written:

_Apparently, third year students are a bit too young to appreciate the inherent beauty of the Clabbert. Fourth through Seventh years did quite well, some even able to approach it without setting off its pustule._

Aurora set that book aside and began leafing through _Dangerous Beasts: Truly Dangerous?_ , stopping when she came to an interesting entry.

Acerdevias

The Acerdevias is a long-bodied serpent. While native to Italy, it has been spotted recently in other countries, most notably Great Britain. Sightings are rare and far between, as the Acerdevias prefers solitude, one of the few beasts who travels alone. Nocturnal, dwelling in dark, cool burrows, often deep underground.

_~ Reminds me of Severus!_

Aurora looked up at her father in surprise.

"Have you looked through these?" she asked.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" She showed him the entry, then waited for him to speak. "Your mother had an odd sense of humor," he said, pushing the book back towards her. He hesitated, then added, “She was fond of practical jokes, although not the most adept at playing them.” His lips twitched upwards. “One had only to look at her face for the game to be up. Too eager for the payoff, and she never was one to hide what she was feeling.”

“Do you think it was really her? In my dream, I mean.”

“I can’t say for certain. She certainly seemed very much herself. However, it is far more likely to have been an amalgamation of what you, and later, I, wanted her to be.”

“But I barely knew anything about her,” Aurora said. “And she told me some things I hadn’t known before.”

“Such as?”

“That she was in Ravenclaw, for starters.”

“And you're quite sure you hadn’t heard that from Steven or Malichi at least once?”

“No, never. I never thought to ask.”

“Perhaps, then, she was real.” He cleared his throat. "It's late. You should get some sleep.”

“May I take these to my room?” she asked, stacking the books together again.

“You should have them.” His words were quiet, barely above a whisper.

Aurora swallowed the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat and stood from her chair, clutching the books to her chest. “Thank you.”

He nodded brusquely, saying nothing.

She hesitated, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Father,” she said, quickly backing away and rushing into her room.

Aurora shut the door and leaned against it, her heart racing. When he did not come to her door immediately, threatening to disembowel her if she ever tried anything so saccharine again, she relaxed and moved across the room to place her mother’s books on her nightstand beside the perfume bottle, a sconce next to her bed lighting as she approached. 

She hung her robe on the back of the door and crawled beneath the covers, propping her pillow behind her and pulling the top book off the stack. She flipped it open to a page with her mother’s notes.

Aurora ran her fingers over the words her mother had written. She was finally starting to feel a connection to her, through the words scrawled on this page, through the photo in her father’s office, through speaking with her in the dream. She’d learned more about her mother in half a term than she had in eleven years.

She flipped through the book for another several minutes before her door opened, her father leaning inside.

“Last I checked, ‘sleep’ was not synonymous with ‘read’.” There was a firmness to his tone, but it lacked its customary bite.

“Just a bit longer?”

He pressed his lips together before crossing the room and taking the book, stacking it with the others.

“It will take some time for you to fully recover from the poisoning. It will be even longer if you don’t get your sleep,” he said, extinguishing the light with a wave of his wand.

“Father?”

“Go to sleep, Aurora.”

“Will you tell me more about Mum?”

He exhaled sharply. The dancing flames from her fireplace cast his face in ever-changing shadow, making it hard to read his expression.

“Not tonight.”

“Tomorrow, then?”

A pause, then, “Perhaps. Now goodnight.” He walked back to the door. “I do not want to see that light on again tonight.” His voice held a note of finality as he pulled the door shut behind him, one that she’d heard all too often.

But tonight, it would go unchallenged. She pulled her pillow back down to the mattress and reached for the perfume bottle from the nightstand. Uncorking it, she let the scent of lilacs lull her to sleep, and for the first time in months, slept naturally and peacefully.


	35. Playing the Game

“Well, Piccolina, you look well rested,” Malichi said the next morning when Severus and Aurora arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast.

“Where have you been?” Aurora asked, giving him a hug. “I thought you’d gone.”

Severus knew exactly where his old professor had been. He cleared his throat and shot him a warning glare.

Malichi arched a brow in return.

“Your father’s quarters were already full,” he said, turning to Aurora. “I made other arrangements. And I would not leave without saying goodbye,” he chided, patting her back. “Now, it looks like your friends have just arrived. I’m sure you’d much rather have breakfast with them then two grouchy old men.” Aurora looked up at Severus, and he nodded his approval.

“Go nowhere alone,” he reminded her.

“I _know_.”

He watched her hurry down the tables to where Harry, Ron, and Basil were sitting, the group beginning to chatter and laugh immediately.

He turned his gaze back to Malichi, who was focused on the other side of the room. Severus turned to see what he was looking at.

Not what. Who. Professor McGonagall had come in and seemed to be studiously ignoring the two of them. Severus turned back to his mentor, who was now eyeballing the food on his plate, the corners of his mouth twitching up in an involuntary smile.

“Merlin save us,” Severus muttered, taking a long drink of coffee. “You’ll send an owl this time, at least? I still have to work here.”

Malichi smirked as he lifted his own cup of coffee. “I’ll owl Aurora every week.”

“You’re impossible,” Severus muttered.

“I’ve lived too long to apologize for enjoying myself, son.” He reached for the sausages. “How did it go, then?”

“How did what go?” Severus asked, spearing a potato with his fork.

“Severus,” Malichi chided. “The two of you were barely speaking when I left after dinner. And her tone this morning –“

“Her tone was that of an adolescent girl whose father was keeping her from her friends,” Severus said, his words clipped.

“So you didn’t spend the evening at one another’s throats?”

“It isn’t as though we have never lived under the same roof, Malichi,” he sniffed. “It was fine.” He picked up his coffee cup again and shrugged. “I gave her Marie’s apprentice books.”

Malichi choked on his food, coughing twice and fixing a steely gaze on Severus.

Severus drank his coffee and had considerable difficulty keeping his customary scowl in place.

Malichi nodded once, then took a sip out of his own cup to clear his throat. “Then there seems to be no reason for me to linger,” he noted. “I’ll say my goodbyes –“ he glanced up towards Minerva, “ – and get back to my holiday. Severus -”

Severus looked up. The older wizard’s eyes were shining. Almost as though he were close to tears.

“Well done, son,” he said. “Well done.”

Severus cleared his throat and nodded stiffly. Melison’s approval was not meted out lightly, especially where he was concerned.

“I should send that letter to Lucius,” he muttered, excusing himself and hurrying out of the Hall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora and her friends were almost out the front door when he passed back through after visiting the Owlery. A sharp call of her name from Severus and she halted, turning towards him and approaching with a quizzical expression.

“No treks away from the castle today,” he warned.

“We were going to visit Hagrid,” Aurora said.

He pressed his lips together. Hagrid’s was farther than he’d like her to go, especially as the wind was particularly biting this morning.

“It isn’t that far,” she pressed, seeing his hesitancy. “And then I’ll be out of the cold.”

“See that you don’t keep him from his regular duties,” he said after a moment. “To Hagrid’s and back, and not a step farther. Understood?” She nodded. “Very well. You’ll find me in my office when you return.”

“Thank you, Father,” she said, hurrying back to her friends.

“And no running!” he called after her, too late. An irritated growl left his throat as he watched her racing the boys for several lengths. When they stopped, she was laughing as hardily as the others, and he allowed himself to turn away.

 _She knows her own limits,_ he reasoned. And the fresh air would put color into her too-pale cheeks.

He opened his office and eyed the scrolls piled on top of it with a heavy sigh. Normally by this point in the holiday, he’d have had them all marked, with these last few days before the start of term to relax – so long as the students staying over weren’t getting themselves into too much trouble.

As it stood, it would take a good portion of the rest of his holiday to clear the desk of its burden. He sat, pulling over the first stack, and set in.

He was finishing up the last of the first year Gryffindor and Slytherin papers when the sound of a throat clearing jerked his attention to his door.

There was nobody there.

“Severus.” That voice he knew very well. It sent a chill through Severus’s body.

“Lucius.” If he wasn’t in the doorway, there was only one other place he could be. Severus turned to the fireplace, smirking ruefully as Lucius’s face appeared in the flames. “I thought you hated Fire Magic.”

“You’ve left me little choice you ass,” Lucius snapped. He held up a piece of parchment. “Is this a bloody joke?”

“Writing doesn’t do well through fire chats. I surmise that you’ve received my letter, then? I did apologize for missing the Christmas party,” Severus said with another smirk as Lucius’s eyes bulged a bit.

“Bugger the Christmas Party, Severus.” Lucius’s eyes closed for a brief moment, fixing on Severus’s own when they were open again. “How long have you known you had a child?”

Severus exhaled slowly. “Since the day Marie was killed.”

“So it’s ten years.” Lucius’s voice was flat, but Severus had known the man too long to not pick up on the slight inflection – he was hurt.

“Top marks,” Severus said, crossing his arms.

“And you kept her a secret because –“

“As I said, Lucius, I feared for her safety.”

“Yes, you did. Right. You’ll make up for the Christmas Party by coming by for a little New Year’s event we’re having tomorrow evening. Very intimate. Just the five of us.”

“Five?”

“Narcissa, Draco, and myself. And of course, you and your daughter.”

Severus’s blood turned to ice. “I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you yet again. Aurora has been unwell over the holiday –“

“Narcissa won’t take no for an answer,” Lucius said. “And it won’t be my head on a platter she’ll be wanting. She’s already hurt that you’ve kept this from her.”

“I wasn’t aware that I answered to Narcissa,” Severus said, eyebrow arched. So far, there was no indication that Lucius meant to retaliate with anything other than verbal admonishments, but he had proven too mercurial in the past to relax.

“Severus.” Lucius's tone was clipped, angry. “A dinner with your closest friends should not be avoided like a bloody Dementor's kiss.”

 _If only any of that were true,_ Severus thought. But he would need Lucius’s support when the rest of the Dark Lord's followers learned about Aurora.

“Of course not. What time should we arrive?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m not going.” Aurora said the moment he told her. She crossed her arms and shook her head, her jaw tightening.

She’d appeared in his office just after noon, Basil waiting in the corridor outside his classroom until Severus had waved the boy on.

“You will go,” Severus said, leaning against his desk. “And you’ll be on your best behavior. The last thing we need is for a fracas between you and Draco.”

“You’ve been trying to keep me away from Doofus all term,” she pointed out. “And now I’m supposed to just sit there, eating dinner with the person responsible for all of the terrible things that have been happening to me?”

“The animosity between you and Draco is not evidence of him having anything to do with the letters,” Severus chided gently. “And I will be at your side the entire evening. I give you my word. I would not have agreed to this had I thought you would be in any danger while we are there.”

He didn’t blame her for being upset. _He_ was upset enough as it was. But they had to play the game. Always with the damn game.

Severus frowned as he studied her face. Instead of the color he’d expected from her outing, she seemed even paler than she had that morning, and tiny dots of perspiration had appeared at her hairline.

He straightened quickly and put the back of his hand to her forehead, then her cheek. She didn’t feel warm, thank Merlin.

“What are you doing?” she asked, pulling away.

“You pushed yourself too far this morning.” He scanned her face again. “Have you eaten?”

“No. And I didn’t push too far –“

“You’re sweating,” he said shortly. “And you’re too pale. We’ll have lunch in our rooms, and then you will get some rest.”

She grunted and sighed, clearly wanting to argue, but instead chewed on her lower lip and nodded. “Yes, Father,” she muttered.

He exhaled sharply through his nose. If she was too worn out to protest, then he’d been right to chastise her for overdoing it. But maybe he could lessen the blow for her. Much as he’d loathe it.

He spoke before he could change his mind. “Later this afternoon we will go into Hogsmeade. You will need an appropriate set of dress robes for tomorrow’s dinner.”

The smile that lit up her face was almost contagious.

Almost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malichi arrived as they were finishing their lunch, biding Aurora goodbye before she went into her room to lie down.

“You'll come out the other side of this, son,” Malichi said, a hand on Severus’s shoulder. “You both will.”

Severus nodded brusquely. “I am glad you're so confident. I'll be happy to make it to the new year.”

Malichi frowned. “Heard back from Lucius, then?”

“Yes. We're to dine with him and his family tomorrow evening. Both of us.”

The older wizard tensed. “And only his family?”

“That is what he said.”

“Tread carefully, son. He is –“

“I do not need you to tell me who Lucius Malfoy is, or what he is capable of,” Severus snapped. The blasted man _had_ been telling him, for twenty bloody years.

“No,” Malichi agreed, his hawk-like gaze studying Severus’s face. “I don't suppose you do. Well,” he said, clearing his throat after an awkward pause. “I’m an owl away should the need arise.”

“Malichi – thank you.”

Malichi tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “And for what do you owe me your thanks?”

Severus inhaled deeply. “More than I credit you for, I’m sure,” he said. “And there are many long overdue.”

Malichi waved his hand dismissively, but Severus could see the shimmering in his eyes. “Damn drafty dungeons,” he mumbled. “I’m going back where the sun can warm these old bones.” He clapped Severus on the arm. “Have a good term, son.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora surveyed herself in the mirror. The robes she’d chosen at Gladrags in Hogsmeade were a pale green and billowed out from the empire waist to the tops of her shoes in flowing waves. Her hair was pulled back into a high bun, two side curls hanging from her temples.

She looked like she was in a Jane Austen novel, and she adored it. It was too bad she had to waste her appearance on the Malfoys. She would have much rather gushed over the fashion with Kim and Erin. 

And her skin was so pale, her petite frame even smaller from the effects of the week in the hospital wing. But she had to admit it was nice to get a little dressed up, even if the only people she’d be seeing were her arch-enemy and his parents.

A quick knock preceded the opening of the door, her father looking her up and down, then nodding, satisfied.

“Shawl?”

Aurora glanced around the room, then grabbed the cream colored wrap from her nightstand.

Another nod from Severus. He had departed from his usual attire only in so much as the typical black cravat was a jade green.

“It’s nearly time,” he said. “Repeat back to me what’s expected of you.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. He’d been going over it since yesterday afternoon.

“Don’t pick a fight with Draco. Don’t flat-out ignore Draco. Remember my manners and thank the Malfoys for inviting us. Don’t interrupt, don’t volunteer information, don’t speak, really.”

“If I thought for a moment you could refrain from speaking at all, believe me it would be a requirement. I’m not trying to frighten you, Aurora, but what you say tonight, how you behave – your every action will be scrutinized. As will mine.”

“Nothing scary about that at all,” she muttered.

He exhaled heavily. “We’ll need to be off school grounds to Apparate,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a potion bottle. “This will regulate your body temperature, as well as ensure you are not completely exhausted by the effort.”

Aurora took the potion without question. “I didn’t get as tired today,” she reminded him after returning the bottle. A tingling warmth spread through her body, and she felt stronger than she had in days.

“No doubt because you spent most of the day in the library researching hairstyle charms rather than running around in the snow,” he said with a smirk. “Time well spent, it seems.”

Aurora automatically reached a hand up to touch the coif. “There were a couple of false starts, but I think I got it.”

“It suits you,” he said, then cleared his throat. “It’s time.” He raised his arm to shepherd her from the room. “It would not do to be late.”

Aurora took a deep breath and followed him out of their rooms, and out of the safety of the castle.


	36. Meeting the Malfoys

They Apparated onto the drive in front of Malfoy Manor. Even in the darkness, it was an imposing building. Judging from the lights blazing from the windows, that was what the Malfoys intended.

“I will be right next to you all night,” her father said quietly, laying his hand on her shoulder, as though he knew that the sight of the house had drilled it home just how rich and powerful the Malfoys had to be for this to be their home.

And how much that scared her.

She nodded, squared her shoulders, and walked beside him through the iron gates and up the crushed gravel path to the front door. His hand remained on her shoulder, a silent reminder of his promise.

The door opened as they approached, revealing the massive entry hall.

Aurora gaped. She couldn’t help it. The hall was almost as large as Hogwarts' entry.

“Close your mouth,” Severus muttered, a slight squeeze to her shoulder to get her attention. “Try to remember you are not here to catch flies.”

He led her through the house smoothly, as though he’d been there a hundred times before.

 _He probably has_ , Aurora thought with a start. Severus frowned at her, slowing his pace when he felt the slight jump.

Aurora shook her head. “I’m fine,” she whispered. They arrived at a pair of double doors that rose imposingly to the ceiling, already swinging in before they had stopped.

“Severus. On time for once.” Lucius rose from a wingback chair next to a fireplace as large as Aurora’s bedroom at Spinner’s End, tossing a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ onto an intricately carved side table beside it.

Lucius’s sharp grey eyes settled onto her as they crossed the room to greet him. She noticed he flicked his eyes to her shoulder, where her father’s hand remained.

“This must be – Aurora, is it?” His voice held no warmth, no welcome.

“Nothing gets past you, Lucius,” Severus said dryly. “Aurora, this is Mr. Malfoy, Draco’s father.”

“Thank you for having us, Mr. Malfoy,” Aurora said, shivering as the potion her father had given her began to wear off.

“Lucius, let the poor child sit by the fire,” a woman’s voice drifted in from a room adjacent to the sitting room they’d entered. Aurora leaned forward to see her.

Tall and slender, her blonde hair perfectly coiffed and her ice-blue eyes set off by the emerald dress robes she wore, Draco’s mother seemed to glide into the room.

“Severus told you she’d been ill, and you’re letting her stand there shivering.” She brushed between the men and drew Aurora towards the fire. The girl shot a look to her father, but he was only a step behind, standing at the side of the chair as Narcissa persuaded Aurora into it.

The fire did not alleviate the chill she was feeling, but she suppressed the urge to shudder when Lucius put his hand on her shoulder.

“There now, all better?” he drawled, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Narcissa snapped her fingers, and a house elf – Aurora had only ever read about them in books – appeared at her side, his eyes wide, his knees banging together.

“Elfin wine, Dobby. And some hot cocoa, I should think, for the young lady,” Narcissa said smoothly. “Tell Draco that our guests have arrived. He’s to come down immediately.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Dobby squeaked, Disapparating again.

Narcissa sat on the ottoman in front of Aurora’s chair, taking the girl’s hand in her own.

“You must call me Aunt Narcissa,” she said, smiling. It felt – genuine. Aurora swallowed and looked to her father, who was rolling his eyes.

“She’ll do nothing of the kind, Narcissa. And stop fussing over her, she’s not a lost sheep.”

“Isn’t she?” Lucius asked, sitting again in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. “It seems to me that’s exactly what she is. In the right company at last.” His eyes went up to Severus’s. “Not to worry. Your father had quite a late start as well, didn’t you, Severus? So all is not lost.” He glanced towards the doorway to the hall. “What is keeping Draco?” he muttered, frowning. Lucius stood and finished his drink. “Dinner will be served shortly. You three go in, I’ll find where he’s hidden himself.”

He set the glass on the table and strode from the room, Narcissa shaking her head as she watched him go. She stood and held out her hand to Aurora.

“Come on, sweet. To think, your great bully of a father has kept you from us all these years.” She shot a look at Severus, and Aurora thought she saw a flicker of regret on the older woman’s face. “But you’re here now, and we must get to know one another.”

Aurora stood and took her hand, casting a glance back at her father. He nodded and sighed, and she allowed herself to be led into the dining room.

~~~~~

 _This was a bloody mistake_ , Severus thought as Narcissa fawned over Aurora.

“You look a picture, dear,” she was saying to Aurora, trailing the back of her fingers over Aurora’s cheek. Aurora kept looking to him, her eyes wide, confused. He’d prepared her for hostility and mistrust, not for this.

He saw Aurora’s body tense and he looked towards the door to the dining room, where Lucius had entered, a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder.

Draco looked even less happy to be there than Aurora did.

“Good evening, Professor Snape,” Draco greeted. His eyes flicked to Aurora, but it was only after prodding by his father that he addressed her. “Welcome to Malfoy Manor – Aurora.”

“Go on,” Lucius said, looking down at his son. Draco exhaled sharply.

“I apologize for our misunderstanding last term. Of course if I’d known who you were, I would never have treated you the way I did.”

 _I’ll be damned._ An apology, no doubt forced, but there it was. He sniffed as Aurora made no effort to accept.

“Aurora.” Severus’s voice was firm, expectant. They’d gone over this, and she had given him her word.

She nodded once, a jerky movement that looked forced.

_Better than nothing, I suppose._

“There now,” Lucius purred. “All friends again, are we?”

~~~~

They sat at the dining table, Aurora beside Severus and across from Draco. She was doing her best not to look at him.

“Draco tells us you do quite well in Potions,” Narcissa said, breaking the uneasy silence. “Do you find your father as unrelenting a taskmaster as Draco seems to?”

Draco shot his mother a glare before turning a wide-eyed gaze on his Head of House.

Aurora choked on her water, bringing her napkin to her mouth. With a look toward her father, she answered. “He does like everything done a certain way,” she said.

On Severus’s other side, Lucius laughed and clapped his friend on the back.

“Always has,” he said.

“Yes,” Severus said shortly. “The _correct_ way.”

Narcissa smiled, turning back to Aurora. “I imagine he set you to brewing before you were walking.”

Aurora hesitated, then shook her head. “No, madam.”

Narcissa frowned, her eyes furrowed as her gaze darted to Severus.

“My position at Hogwarts leaves little time – or desire – for instruction beyond my classroom,” he said shortly, grabbing his goblet in an effort to avoid Narcissa’s stare.

Draco looked especially put out by this news. Lucius had fixed a disapproving stare on his son. “I was under the impression that Aurora arrived at Hogwarts already well-versed in the art of Potion making,” he said.

“I don’t know why,” Severus said. “Or who, for that matter, could have given you that impression. Aurora started the term on even footing with every other first year.”

“Well, the governors will certainly want to verify that she’s receiving no special treatment,” Lucius said. “It is highly irregular for a teacher to have their own child in their classroom.”

Aurora’s heart stopped. She was an easy enough target as it was, and that was with her father at the same school. If she had to leave -

“Father, they wouldn’t –“

“It is unorthodox,” Severus agreed, narrowing his eyes slightly at her. Aurora bit her lip and turned back to her plate, fixing a glare on a smirking Draco. “But I would think you, most of all, Lucius, would know that I do not bend the rules when it comes to my classroom. Let the governors come. They will find no cause to remove either of us.”

“Yes, well, let us hope so. Though I daresay you’re used to the separation if it came to that.”

“Your dress robes are lovely,” Narcissa said, a glare at her husband. “Empire waists always look so sweet on young girls. And that shade does bring out your eyes.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy,” Aurora said, the compliment bringing a flush to her cheeks.

“But so pale! Is that down to your illness, dear?”

“Yes, Mrs. Malfoy.”

Narcissa waved a hand. “Narcissa, please. You're among friends now.”

Aurora colored again. This was not at all what she had been expecting.

“It must have been quite serious for you to have stayed away at Christmas,” Lucius said to Severus, sipping his wine. “That’s the first time in twenty years. There hasn’t been an outbreak at the school that we should be concerned about?”

Aurora's fists clenched in her lap. Her father had always only made brief appearances at Spinner's End for the holidays, pleading his responsibilities as Head of Slytherin required him at Hogwarts.

Had he been coming to the Malfoys’ instead? Sitting at this table, spending time with Draco over her?

All eyes were suddenly on her - Draco's smirk and her father's raised eyebrow telling her she'd probably either done something without realizing it, or missed responding to a question.

“I’m sorry,” she said tightly. “Just a little dizzy.”

Severus's arched brow furrowed as his eyes raked over her face. “You aren't flushed,” he said quietly. “Has it passed?”

She nodded, looking away.

“We should go,” her father said, placing his napkin on the table and standing. “She is not yet fully recovered –“

“Sit down, Severus,” Lucius said, waving his hand at the other man, his eyes on Aurora. “She said it had passed. She's fine. Aren’t you, child?”

Aurora froze. She wanted to say no, that this whole evening was too bizarre, too incongruous with what she’d been expecting. But she found herself nodding.

“There,” Lucius said. “No excuse now to rush off, Severus.”

“For Merlin's sake,” Narcissa said, pushing her chair back from the table and crossing her arms. “Send the children to the garden to watch the fireworks, and we three will have it out and stop this ridiculous circling around the issue.”

“I would prefer Aurora not stand in sub-freezing temperatures just now, Narcissa. And despite Draco’s apology, I do not believe the animosity between the two is at the level where leaving them alone is advisable.”

 _Probably best_ , Aurora thought, feeling Draco’s glare even as she stared at her plate.

“The drawing room, then,” Lucius said. “The windows there are large, overlooking the grounds. The fire is blazing – and there are ways of ensuring privacy while being in the same room.”

Aurora looked up at her father. He met her gaze and nodded shortly, hand on her shoulder once again as she stood.

When they reached the drawing room, he squeezed her shoulder gently. “Remember our conversation earlier,” he said, voice low. “Be civil.” His hand moved to her back and gave her a subtle push forward.

Aurora set her jaw and walked up to the windows where Draco was already standing.

~~~~

Lucius cast a muffling charm around the trio as they settled into armchairs behind the children.

“She’s the picture of Marie,” Narcissa said, laying a hand on Severus’s arm.

“Indeed,” he said, clearing his throat.

“I understand,” Lucius said, swirling a wine glass in his hand, “the need for secrecy, Severus, I do. But from us? From me? Did you know about the girl when I helped you with Pruitt?”

“No.”

“Would you have told me if you had?”

Severus met his old friend's gaze head-on. Lucius sounded petulant, like he’d been left out of a game. But there was real pain in his eyes. For a fleeting moment, Severus felt as he had when they were just boys, finding common ground in the cruelty of their fathers.

“No.” His reply was not harsh, but Lucius's eyes hardened.

“I see. Trusted enough to help you clean up your mess, but not enough to safeguard your child.” He took a long drink of wine.

“Lucius,” Narcissa's voice was barely above a whisper. “Had we been in the same circumstances, been given the same opportunity to shield Draco –“ her voice caught as her husband turned his cool gaze onto her.

“Draco has been brought up with the right people, able to hold his head high because he knows that his blood is pure, as is his friends’. Aurora-“ he pointed to the girl idly, “was brought up in ignorance of her bloodlines, no doubt her every whim catered to by – who, exactly?” He turned again to Severus. “Your brother was still in school, your parents - ” his eyes narrowed, and he almost spat the name. “Melison.”

“Marie chose him to be Aurora’s godfather. Cousins of some variety, I believe.”

Lucius sniffed. “As if you would have chosen otherwise.”

“What is it you expect from me, Lucius?” Severus’s patience was wearing thin. “I had concerns for her safety – which you admit there was need for.” He hesitated before rushing on. “Concerns, it seems, that were well-founded. She didn’t catch a simple cold over the holiday. Somebody at the school poisoned her.”

Narcissa gasped, and Lucius sat up straighter in his chair, the glass in his hand stilling.

“Who would have poisoned a _child_?” Narcissa asked, her eyes going from Severus’s to Lucius’s.

Severus let out a humorless laugh.

“Who indeed. Certainly nobody _we_ know.” Narcissa’s lips thinned, her hand leaving his arm and clutching instead at the arm of her chair.

“Why haven’t the governors been informed?” Lucius asked. “If there is a danger to the students –“

Severus ground his teeth, regretting that he’d said anything at all. Well, in for a penny – “There is no danger to the other students,” he assured them. “It is clear that Aurora was specifically targeted.”

“And you believe this is retribution for – what? Your supposed alliance with the Order?” Lucius scoffed.

“Or my loyalty to the Dark Lord,” Severus agreed. “Some of our colleagues are not as fond of me, or my place at his side. As you know.”

“Goyle wouldn’t be daft enough to threaten your child, Severus. The moment one of us had found out-“

“You, perhaps,” Severus said. “I don’t pretend that any of the others would feel the same.”

Lucius opened his mouth to argue, but Narcissa’s look stopped him.

“We are hurt you felt you could not trust us,” she said quietly. “After all that we have been through, Severus. All of the secrets we have kept for each other – “ she sighed. “But we understand. A parent must do everything in their power to protect their child.”

She looked over to where the children stood, a healthy distance apart, staring out over the grounds as the first fireworks began.

“Happy New Year,” Lucius said, raising his glass and downing the contents.

“May it bring the five of us closer together,” Narcissa said, lifting her own glass in the air.

Severus raised his glass without comment, drinking the elfin wine in one smooth swallow.

~~~~

“I can't believe Snape's your father, _Aurora_.” Draco was staring straight ahead, as she was, but she didn’t need to see his face to know he was sneering as he said her name. “He’s been coming here for ages, and he's never once mentioned you. Can't say I blame him for wanting to keep you a secret.”

“So much for your apology,” Aurora muttered, trying to adhere to her father’s instruction to be civil.

“They can't hear us. They'll have cast a muffling charm.”

“You have a nice house,” Aurora said blandly.

“Father’s mentioned Spinner's End,” Malfoy said, his voice mocking. “I bet your entire house would fit into our entry.”

Aurora's fist clenched at her sides, but she continued to watch the fireworks. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

“Probably. But I quite like it. Not a lot of noise, or people, now the factory’s shut. Who wants a house so big you get lost on your way to the bathroom, anyway?” She smiled inwardly. “Or that’s so old and creepy you need Mr. Tiddles to protect you at night?”

Draco turned to her then, but she kept her gaze forward, watching as the fireworks died down. She could see him from the corner of her eye. He looked _livid_. A quick glance towards the adults seemed to make him remember himself, and he straightened, rolling his shoulders back and closing the distance between them.

“You think Snape being your father is going to change anything?” He hissed, his mouth next to her ear. “I’ll just have to be cleverer, won’t I?”

Aurora turned her head sharply, her heart racing. “What do you mean?” Was he confessing?

“We should be going,” Severus said from behind them, the muffling spell apparently now removed. She tensed, waiting for Draco to answer.

He only smirked.

“Happy New Year, Aurora,” he said, his voice dripping with politeness before walking up to the adults.

Aurora watched him go, a shiver racing through her. Her father caught her eye and tilted his head, waiting. She pulled her shawl more tightly around her and approached the rest of the group.

“Thank you for having us,” she said quietly.

“It was our pleasure. No doubt we will see each other again shortly,” Narcissa said, her hands on Draco’s shoulders.

“No doubt,” Severus said. He placed his hand lightly on Aurora’s shoulder, and she wanted to clutch at it, to beg him to do _something_ about Draco and his thinly veiled threat.

She was suddenly exhausted, emotionally and physically, and desperate to get as far from Draco Malfoy as she could.

But her father's hand on her shoulder leant her the strength she needed to hold her back straight as they left the manor and into the cold. As soon as they were out of the front gate, he gave her another phial of potion, and they Disapparated to Hogsmeade.

“Obviously you are not clear on what constitutes civility,” Severus noted dryly when they had begun walking back to the school. 

“I was civil!” Aurora protested.

“Your body language said otherwise,” he pointed out. “Your fists are still clenched.”

“ _He_ wasn’t civil. And Father, he as much as confessed that he was sending the letters!”

He gave her a swift, piercing look. “What did he say? His _exact_ words.”

She told him, and he narrowed his eyes, snapping his gaze back to the path before them.

“It is not proof,” he said after a moment. “But I agree that it holds merit.” He frowned. “Draco is no slouch, but the skill needed to produce these letters – “ he shook his head. “I would be very much surprised if he is the culprit.”

“But he said –“

“I have not forgotten his words already,” he chided. “But Draco could very well be following in his father’s footsteps – offering a lot of bluster intended to frighten you.” They had reached the Hogwarts gate, and he looked over at her. “We’ll speak no more of this tonight.”

“But –“

“ _Enough_ ,” he demanded. I will handle this.”

His tone was biting, cutting through her more than the wind in front of Malfoy Manor had. The hurt from dinner resurfaced. “You’re more interested in protecting Draco than you are protecting me,” she said.

He jerked his head around as if she’d slapped him. “You’re overtired and upset,” he said, his words clipped. “We should have left earlier.”

“We shouldn’t have gone in the first place,” Aurora snapped back.

“Mind your tone,” he said sharply as they descended to the dungeons. He waited until they were in their rooms before he spoke again, rounding on her, his face inches from her own. “Our visit to the Malfoys served its purpose. You were not harmed in going. And this idea you have that I am more invested in Draco’s safety than your own is completely ridiculous.” He straightened, his hands behind his back, his chest heaving. He thrust his chin towards her bedroom. “To bed.”

She didn’t move, but crossed her arms angrily over her chest. “Why did you pretend you came back to Hogwarts every year at Christmas when you were really going to the Malfoys’?” 

He pressed his lips together, raising an arm and pointing a finger at her room. “Bed,” he said again, his voice dangerously low.

Aurora was emboldened by the strength the potion was giving her. “No.”

“Do not presume that your ordeal grants you license to be impertinent,” Severus said through clenched teeth.

“I just want to understand!” Aurora protested, dangerously close to sobbing. “Why do you keep so many secrets? Why are the Malfoys more important than your own family?” She did start crying, then, as the potion wore off, depleting the energy that had been bolstering her. She fell to her knees, her father’s hands immediately under her elbows, helping her back to her feet.

“To bed,” he said again, albeit less harshly. He steered her into her room, only letting go of her elbow when she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

He took her pajamas from her dresser and laid them next to her.

“It has been a trying evening for us both,” he said quietly. “Goodnight.”

He pulled the door shut behind him, and Aurora sank into the bed, too exhausted even to change. After a minute or two, she had cried herself to sleep.

~~~~

Severus stood with his hand on the handle to Aurora's bedroom for a few minutes after he left, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He sighed and crossed the room to the liquor cabinet, pulling out the bottle of fire whiskey and pouring a healthy serving, the liquid sloshing over the edge of the glass as his hand shook.

He drained it and poured another.

~~~~

The clock on the mantle showed half past two. He closed his book and laid it aside, frowning as he saw the light beneath under Aurora's door.

Severus stood, opening the door smoothly, the admonishment dying on his lips when he saw that she'd fallen asleep, still in her dress robes, on top of the covers.

Muttering a switching spell under his breath, she was soon in her pajamas, the dress robes at the end of the bed. He reached over and hung them on the back of the door before levitating her, pulling back the blankets, and settling her back onto the bed. He leaned over and arranged the blankets around her, removing the charm on her hair, brushing it from her face as it fell.

He exhaled heavily and watched her for a moment, all of the irritation of earlier in the evening evaporating in the stillness.

He was cocking everything up again.

He had thought, finally, that he had been doing something right, that he had begun rolling back the ten years' distance that was between them.

A distance, he knew, that was entirely his doing. And that, before this term, he had grudgingly accepted; a necessary precaution for her own safety.

And that hadn’t changed. If anything, the revelation of her identity would make it even more imperative that their relationship appear strained. If his enemies thought he was not attached, they’d be less likely to use her as a means to an end.

But dammit, he wanted to sit beside her bed, telling her when she woke up that he was sorry – for all of it. That she deserved better than him for a parent.

Instead, he put out the light and left the room, pulling the door shut firmly behind him.


	37. Recovery

When Aurora woke the next morning and looked at the clock, she was surprised to see that it was well past breakfast. It was unusual for her father to let her sleep so late. She grabbed her robe and opened the door to her room, frowning when the sitting room was empty, the door to Severus’s room closed.

It was even stranger that _he_ would sleep so late. She walked over and knocked on the door.

“Father?”

There was no answer. She reached for the handle, jerking her hand back from the stinging hex that had been placed on it.

The door to their quarters swung open, her father levitating a tray of food behind him.

He arched a brow at her as he settled the tray on the desk, his eyes flicking to the hand she was massaging, then back at her face.

“Are you suddenly confused as to which is your bedroom?” he asked.

“I thought something was wrong,” she said moodily, shaking her hand in an effort to dispel the stinging. “You don’t normally let me sleep so late.”

“As I pointed out last night, you are not fully recovered from the poison. You need more rest than usual, and as you’ve no classes for the next several days, you shall have it.” He pulled a phial from his robes and held it up. “This will help some with the exhaustion. You’ll drink one twice a day until told otherwise.” He set it down next to the tray. “Eat,” he said, indicating the tray with a tilt of his head.

Her irritation flared at the shortness of his tone, but she did as instructed, sitting at the desk and picking up the fork.

Severus went into his bedroom, leaving the door open behind him.

Aurora shoved a piece of bacon in her mouth and glared as she watched him inspect the room, eyes sweeping over every surface.

Honestly. Like she really wanted to rifle through his things. But she stopped chewing, suddenly sitting up a bit straighter. Maybe there was something in there she _would_ find interesting, something he didn’t want her to see.

Something about her mother, maybe.

If he wasn’t going to tell her everything, she would _have_ to snoop. She watched as he pulled the door shut, ears straining for the exact incantations he used to ward it.

Most of them were silent spells, and she let out a huff of disappointment.

“Finished?” he asked, eyeing her half-eaten food.

She picked up another piece of bacon and began chewing in lieu of an answer, staring at the food rather than looking at him.

He remained standing for a few moments before sitting in one of the armchairs, picking up a book from the side table.

Aurora finished eating, turning her fork absently, watching syrup trail from the tines.

“Did you tell Professor Dumbledore about last night?” she finally asked, eyes still focused on the dripping syrup.

“Nothing happened which warrants the headmaster’s attention,” Severus said, turning the page of his book.

Aurora inhaled deeply and looked up. He was still reading his book. “So you’re not going to tell him about Draco’s threat –“

“I have already said that I will handle Draco.” His eyes were still on the page in front of him.

“How?” Aurora demanded, letting her fork clatter to her plate. This earned her a raised brow, but still no eye contact.

“Finished your breakfast?” he asked instead, turning the page. “Get dressed, then. I have papers to mark in my office.”

“Just like that? Like nothing’s happened?”

This time, his eyes slid from the page of his book to her face.

“All that’s happened is that you’ve decided you know better than I how to deal with the Malfoys. Clothes,” he said firmly, jerking his head towards her room. “I advise you not to make me say it a third time.”

Their gazes clashed, Aurora clenching her jaw. But she’d been on the end of too many of those stares not to know when arguing was pointless.

She pushed her chair back, the legs grating loudly against the stone floor.

“Potion,” he said, his voice low. She grabbed the phial on the desk and downed the contents, her face screwing up as she choked down the noxious brew. It was slimy and – _chunky_.

“That was _horrible_ ,” she gasped, grabbing for her goblet of pumpkin juice and gulping it down.

“But necessary,” her father said. “Unless you’d rather be required to take a nap every day like an infant.”

Aurora could feel the potion already working. It was stronger than the one she had taken the night before. She no longer felt even a little tired. But her irritation was growing.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t take it,” she said, standing up from the chair. “But you could’ve added something for the taste, at least.”

“So you believe you know more about brewing a stable strengthening potion than I do as well?” he said, marking his place in the book and setting it on the table.

Aurora let out a frustrated puff of air. He was twisting everything she said! “Of course not.” She finally stood from her chair and went into her bedroom, muttering under her breath. “But a bit of SOMETHING couldn’t have hurt.”

~~~~

Basil was loitering in the corridor outside the Potions classroom, relief passing over his features when he saw them approach.

“Good morning, Professor Snape, Aurora. I was worried when you weren’t at breakfast that something else had happened.“

“As you can see, Mr. Rosier, everything is fine,” Severus said, stepping inside the classroom. Basil and Aurora stayed in the corridor. He turned, an eyebrow arched. “Was there something else?” he asked.

“I’ll check back after lunch,” Aurora said, turning to go.

“You will stay here,” he said, stopping his daughter’s progress.

“But I’ve taken the potion,” she protested. “I feel fine.”

“Aurora has been overtired of late, Mr. Rosier,” Severus said, his eyes trained on Aurora’s. There was a fire of indignation that made her hazel eyes a shade more green. “She needs less excitement, and more rest. She will not be available to traipse around the school and grounds today.”

The fire in Aurora’s eyes flared.

“Then what was the point of the bloody potion?” she demanded.

“Unless there was something else you needed, Mr. Rosier, I suggest you go about your business,” Severus said smoothly, his head tilted, eyes narrowing at her language.

Severus’s eyes turned to the boy when he made no move to leave. He was looking at Aurora – her arms were crossed over her chest, jaw taut, eyes blazing at her father. He swallowed and turned back to Severus.

“May I sit with her in the classroom, then, Professor?” he asked. Severus felt Aurora’s glare intensify when he shook his head.

 _If she’s not careful, she’s going to set something on fire with that gaze_ , he thought, keeping the smirk that threatened his lips at bay.

“Not today, Mr. Rosier. I believe you can survive one day without her company.”

“I’ll see you at lunch, maybe,” Basil said to Aurora before turning away.

~~~~

Severus stood aside in the classroom, waiting for Aurora to come in. She remained in the hallway.

“If needed, I will levitate you inside,” he snapped. “I would not advise letting it get to that point.”

She said nothing, stalking past him and pulling out a chair at the back desk. He waved the door shut and stopped her from sitting.

“You are not being punished,” he said, staring down his nose at her. “There is no reason for this petulance. A few short weeks ago, you confided that you enjoyed the time we shared here.”

Aurora huffed. Those detentions felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since, so much had been revealed. “I did. But that was when I thought things could change.” She shook her head. “I was wrong.”

“You weren’t wrong,” Severus said, his voice quiet.

“So then tell me,” she pleaded.

“Tell you what?”

“Why you left every Christmas to go to the Malfoys for starters.”

He exhaled loudly through his nose, his jaw taut. “We settled this last night.”

“No, you avoided answering.”

“And what makes you think this morning would be any different?”

“If I ask often enough –“

“You will serve only to irritate me,” he said shortly. “Leave it, Aurora. It is of no importance.”

“It is to me,” she said, holding his stare. “I’d like to know –“

“There is a great deal you’d _like_ to know. That does not mean you _should_ know it. You ask why I have so many secrets? It is because I know how to keep them. And I _will_ keep them,” he pressed. “And if you continue to badger me with demands, you’ll find I’m quite skilled at silencing charms.”

He exhaled through his nose again, his chest heaving. “I have papers to grade. You may sit out here and sulk, or you may sit in my office and raid my bookshelves.”

Aurora’s head whipped back to face him. “ _Any_ of the shelves?” she asked. She’d spotted an interesting book on banned potions during one of her detentions, one that he’d not so much as gone near with her in the room.

He hesitated only a moment before nodding. “They are not to leave my office,” he warned.

She nodded, already on her way to the office door. Maybe a banned potion was just what she needed.

~~~~

Even with the new potion giving her more energy, by lunchtime, Aurora was beginning to flag.

The disappointment from the lack of finding anything of use in the books on her father’s shelves certainly wasn’t helping, either. The thrill of the possibility that the next book would have something she could use to find her poisoner, or get information out of Draco about his part in it all came crashing down with each turn of the page.

But it wasn’t a total loss. She now knew where to look if she ever needed to regrow limbs in a hurry, brew an animagus transformation potion, or render an enemy susceptible to any suggestion, among others.

It had been a carrot her father had dangled, she understood that. Something to get her away from the subject of what he refused to share with her.

He looked up from his papers as she sighed and re-shelved the latest book she’d been looking through.

“I am nearly through this class,” he said, dipping his quill into the inkpot in front of him. “And then we will go up to the Hall for lunch. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. She didn’t want to be sent back to their quarters for a nap. She wasn’t _that_ tired.

He kept his eyes on her, then nodded, turning back to the papers in front of him.

“I’m surprised you haven’t gone straight to the strengthening draught,” he said idly. “To prove your theory that the taste could be improved upon if nothing else. Third shelf, green binding,” he offered when she looked back to the shelves.

She spotted it immediately, standing on her tiptoes to pull it from the shelf. It was a newer volume – a tenth edition, according to the title page. Aurora flipped through until she found an entry on strengthening solutions.

There were already a multitude of notes scrawled in her father’s spiky script, and at first glance it all looked irrefutable.

“Powdered bicorn horn,” she said suddenly, looking up from the book. “It would change the consistency – “

“And cancel out the salamander’s blood,” he said, eyes still on his work.

Aurora looked back at the page, evaluating each ingredient’s efficacy.

“Nothing?” Severus asked, suddenly standing beside her, startling her.

“There has to be a way –“

“Perhaps there is. You may continue looking for it after lunch.”

She set the book down and stood, grabbing at the back of the chair when her legs wobbled slightly.

“So you’re fine,” he commented dryly, handing her another phial of the strengthening solution. She gagged it down, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth.

“I’m not exhausted,” she countered. “Just – unsteady.” She straightened, enjoying the rush of energy that the solution produced. They began walking up to the Great Hall.

“It wore off sooner than I had anticipated,” Severus said, frowning. “After lunch, we’ll let Madam Pomfrey look you over.”

Aurora sighed. “I feel fine –“

“So you've said.” They reached the Great Hall, and Aurora saw Basil, Harry, and Ron sitting near the door.

“Go on,” her father said before she could vocalize the question. She grinned and headed towards the boys.

“Hey guys,” she said, sliding onto the bench beside Basil and filling her plate. She was _starving_.

“Do you have to stay in the dungeons this afternoon?” Basil asked. His plate was nearly empty, as was Harry’s.

“Forget the dungeons,” Ron said, heaping another serving onto his plate and glancing up to make sure Severus had gone to the staff table. He leaned across the table. “Tell us about the Malfoys. Were there dark artifacts just laying about?”

Harry leaned forward as well, eyes darting between Aurora and Ron.

“They’re not going to have it just laying around, Weasley,” Basil said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I didn’t see any,” Aurora confirmed, nodding. “Honestly, it was – weird.” She told them what Draco had said at the end of the night.

“I _knew_ it,” Ron said. “The git couldn’t have said anything more incriminating, could he?”

“What did Snape say?” Harry asked, almost standing now to lean over the table.

Aurora exhaled heavily and looked up to where her father sat with the other teachers. He was speaking to Professor McGonagall. “Just that he’d take care of it. He doesn’t think Draco’s the one behind the letters.”

“Even if he isn’t,” Basil said quietly, “that sounded like a threat to me. I’ll try and find something out when he gets back. He’s always boasting to Crabbe and Goyle. Maybe I can put an eavesdropping charm on his robes or something.”

“An eavesdropping charm?” Harry asked, perking up. “That seems useful.”

“Well – it doesn’t exactly exist,” Basil said, turning red. “Not yet, anyway. But there’s been loads of research on them. I might be able to make one work.”

“Oh.” Harry looked as though Christmas had been canceled. “Is there a way to eavesdrop on someone?”

“Yeah, listen at the keyhole,” Ron said, laughing when Harry elbowed him in the side. “Ow, Harry!”

“I meant a _magical_ way,” Harry said.

“You could use a set of Watchers,” Aurora said. “But they’re rare. Who are you two looking to spy on?” Ron and Harry exchanged guilty looks.

“Nobody,” Harry said quickly.

“Yeah, it just would be a laugh, that’s all,” Ron said.

“I’m getting really tired of people keeping secrets,” Aurora said sharply.

“Oh, you mean like having Snape as your _dad_?” Harry shot back. Aurora glared at him. He was right. She knew he was right. But knowing it didn’t make their secrecy any less annoying, and she was still hurt by the secrets her father was keeping.

“That wasn’t by choice,” she said.

“Look, everyone has secrets, right?” Basil said, looking between Harry and Aurora. “I’m sure Harry and Ron will tell us what they’re up to when they can. Right?”

Harry exhaled, then shook his head. “Sorry. Right. We’re just – we don’t want to say anything right now.”

“Yeah, it’s just a theory,” Ron said. “Hang on. Aurora – you don’t know who Nicolas Flamel is, do you?”

Aurora frowned and shook her head. “He sounds familiar, but I don’t know why. Sorry.”

Ron’s shoulders slumped. “It was worth a shot.”

There was silence at the table for a moment, Aurora taking the opportunity to eat a few bites of lunch. “So let’s figure out how Basil can plant a bug on Malfoy,” she said. “Maybe while the two of you are up in the library, you can keep an eye out.”

“Maybe I’ll write to my grandfather,” Basil said quietly. “If I don’t tell him it’s for Draco, if I tell him it’s for somebody else – a Muggle born, maybe. I bet he knows loads of ways to listen in on conversations.”

Aurora frowned. Basil and his grandfather weren’t exactly on good terms. “We can figure out another way,” she said quietly.

Basil shook his head and squared his shoulders. “No. I’m the only one of us who can get close enough to Draco once term starts. And I want to help. He’ll actually be pleased that I’m asking for illicit magic.”

“Look out,” Ron said quietly, sitting back on the bench. “Snape’s coming.”

Aurora quickly shoveled some of her lunch into her mouth, sure he was coming to collect her for the hospital wing.

“Children,” Severus said as he stopped behind Aurora. “And what might the four of you be up to, with your conspiratorial whispering?”

“Nothing, Professor,” they all answered immediately. Severus narrowed his eyes and gave a disbelieving sniff.

“Finish your lunch,” he directed his daughter. “And then bid your friends goodbye for the day.”

“Yes, Father,” Aurora said, taking another bite of food before standing. “I’ll see you all later.” She fell into line behind her father as they left the hall, mouthing ‘good luck’ to the boys as she passed.

~~~~

Madam Pomfrey spent several minutes tutting over Aurora before turning to Severus with pursed lips. “She should have been on that strengthening solution from the first,” she admonished.

Severus let out a growl of irritation. They’d had this discussion when talking over Aurora’s plan of care and had agreed to play it by ear. There were, after all, no guidelines for recovering from moonseed poisoning.

“We’ll know for next time a student survives moonseed poisoning then, won’t we?”

She frowned at him, her eyes pulled together sharply. “Yes, we will, Merlin forbid it come to that.” She turned a softer gaze to Aurora. “Tell me how you feel, dear.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Aurora said. Severus could hear the frustration in her voice.

“She had a bout of dizziness last night at dinner,” he said, meeting Aurora’s exasperated glare with an even one of his own. “Despite having a fortification potion.”

“I wasn’t dizzy,” she muttered. “I just zoned out and needed an excuse.”

“So you haven’t had any dizziness, stomach pains, anything at all? Even a twinge that felt wrong – any of it could indicate the treatment isn’t quite right,” Madam Pomfrey said.

“Maybe a bit of a stomachache, but that’s down to nerves –“

Severus clenched his jaw. “You cannot expect to recover if you pretend to have symptoms that aren’t there and hide those that are. This isn’t a case of a simple cold, Aurora.”

“I _know_ that,” she snapped at him. “I’m the one who was poisoned.”

“A bezoar draught, Severus,” Poppy said firmly, ending the argument before it had any chance of continuing. “If there’s any trace of poison, it will balance out. Before bed for the next week, I should think. And you, Miss Snape. Anything at all feels less than tip-top, you tell your father or me. We’ll decide if it’s related to your recovery or not.” She paused, giving Aurora a reassuring smile. “We’re in uncharted territory, dear. If something isn’t working, we need to know immediately so that we can correct the issue.”

“Yes madam,” Aurora said. “I understand.” She frowned, looking towards Severus. He scowled at her.

“What is it?” he asked sharply.

“Nothing, I just – “ she sighed. “I haven’t had a nightmare since I woke up in here. Is that – could that be down to the poisoning as well?”

“More likely it’s down to the culprit not being in the castle,” Severus said. Another tic against Quirrell for the mastermind. “And unable to project such dreams into your mind.”

 _If she were well enough, I’d insist on Occlumency lessons_ , he thought to himself. But just as easily as it came, he dismissed it. At this point, the lessons would do her little good for this situation. She would have to be well advanced in the art to use it while sleeping.

Still, now that everyone knew her true identity –

 _One thing at a time_ , he chided himself. _First I have to get her through the end of the term alive._


	38. Of Reunions and Schemes

Severus limited her to the dungeons the next morning, but the bezoar draught seemed to be doing its job well, and the strengthening solution lasted well beyond lunch, so he released her to her friends.

The rest of the holidays fell into a routine – she slept late, catching breakfast in the Great Hall just before it was over, then spent the day with Basil, Harry, and Ron - usually in the library.

Basil's grandfather wrote him back, lauding his ambition, and telling him there were many objects in his possession which would serve their purposes, all of which were not allowed at Hogwarts and would surely set off wards in place to prevent their use.

So while the Gryffindors continued to search for Nicolas Flamel, she and Basil focused their energies on cracking an eavesdropping charm.

After the library, it was back to the Hall for dinner, and down to the dungeons for the rest of the evening.

It took some time for Aurora to get used to sharing a living space with her father again, but their animosity seemed to lessen when they weren’t stuck together all day. And the close quarters ensured that they had nightly fireside – if not exactly heart-to-hearts - chats.

Mostly, they talked about what she had done during the day, her father critical if she forgot any detail, sure that it would be the one that led to the discovery of her poisoner. And the fact that she was restricting herself to the library – for studying purposes, she told him – and not running around the grounds all day seemed to make him less prone to chastise her.

But sometimes, her father would let slip a morsel or two of information about her mother. It wasn’t much – she’d been gifted at Transfiguration, but couldn’t brew a forgetfulness potion to save her life, her passion for magizoology came from taking in a stray blast-ended skrewt when she was eight, she usually had her nose stuck in a book – but it was more information than she’d ever had before, and Aurora clung to it.

By the Saturday evening before the remaining students would return from the holidays, the atmosphere in their quarters had relaxed, and she felt more at ease and less like she had to walk on eggshells.

She and her father were sitting by the fire, he reading the paper, she reading through one of her mother’s books.

"I have been neglecting my duties as Head of House,” Severus said with a sigh. “And it’s time I resume my patrol of the corridors.” He stood, placing _The Daily Prophet_ he’d been reading on his chair. “You will remain here.”

“Alone?” She hadn’t been by herself for more than a few minutes in months.

“For a short time, yes. The wards protecting these rooms were set with blood magic; you will be safe. I expect to find you in bed when I return,” he said, a pointed look at the clock and then back at her.

“Yes, Father.” As soon as he’d mentioned leaving her on her own, her heart had begun to race, her mind going over whether or not she would have enough time to try and work through the wards on his room and see what he was hiding in there.

Severus turned as he reached the door. “And I trust I needn’t remind you that your room is there,” he jerked his head towards her door. “And should I find that the wards on _my_ room have been tampered with in any way you will find yourself my constant companion outside of your classes for the entire term. Understood?”

She tried not to let her shoulders sag and show her disappointment. How had he known that was exactly what she’d wanted to try?

“Yes, Father,” she muttered.

He nodded and swept from the room, leaving her with only the sound of the crackling fire in the hearth. She stared at the door to his room and sighed.

Maybe it was worth it. There had to be _something_ in there that he didn’t want her to find.

Aurora stood up and approached the door, pulling out her wand before realizing she hadn’t the faintest idea how to discover which wards were used. Maybe she needed to stop reading so many Potions texts and show Charms a little love.

She’d was going to find a way in there. But it wasn’t going to be tonight.

Instead, she went into her room and pulled out the book of potions he’d given her from their detentions. She'd never been able to study it in very much detail, as she'd always been afraid of her roommates’ return, and thought it would be nice to browse through it while sitting in front of the fire.

The clock on the mantel chimed midnight – she should have been in bed ages ago – by the time she reached the last page. She stood, walking towards her room as she read the last entry. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stopped, her mouth dropping open.

**The Draught of Walking Death**

This draught allows the drinker to mask all vital signs while maintaining control of all senses and abilities, including movement and speech. To all who view the affected person, it will be as though the dead has risen.

This was the answer to her problems! If she could brew this potion - she continued reading and her heart sank. For her to pull off what she had planned, she'd need to act now, and this draught took nearly two months to brew. Frustrated, she closed the book and tossed it onto her chair. Then she thought of her father.

 _Maybe he has some already made!_ she thought. Too excited to sleep, and too anxious to wait for him to come back, she threw her robe on over her pajamas and headed for the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was patrolling the dungeon corridor when he heard a crash directly above him. It sounded as though someone had knocked over a statue. Eager to catch them in the act, and equally eager to deduct house points, he hurried up the stairs, his eyes searching every nook and cranny to find the source of the disturbance.

They narrowed when he saw Quirrell hurrying away from a statue of Harpo the foul, and decided to see what he was up to. As he was passing a suit of armor near the main staircase, he collided with a student, sending them sprawling to the floor. He looked down to see who it was and scowled.

"Aurora!" he hissed as he helped her to her feet. "What on Earth?" He looked up to find Quirrell, but the other teacher had already slipped out the front door. If he was going to follow him, he needed to be quick. "Get back to the room. Now. We will discuss your behavior when I return."

“But I need to talk to you," she argued.

"It can wait until later. Now go!"

To his aggravation, she stood rooted to the spot.

"I think I've found a way to get a confession from whoever poisoned me!"

Her words quieted the rebuke that sprang to his lips, and with one last look at the front door, he sighed.

"Very well. We'll discuss this in the room." He led the way back to their quarters, noting the book lying on her vacated chair. His jaw set, he slammed the door shut with a flick of his wand and turned to her. “The answer is no.”

"But you haven't heard my idea yet!" she exclaimed, reaching around him for the book.

"Perhaps you’ve forgotten that I made that book. I know what you're going to suggest, and the answer is still no. That draught is not safe."

"But if I took it, I could get Harry, Basil, and Ron to back me up! We could see if it really was Jamie! If I just -"

"I said _no_ ," he snarled, grabbing the book from her hands and flipping it open to the final page. "Did you bother reading the entire entry for that potion?" He barely waited for her to shake her head as he continued, thrusting it back into her hands, a slender finger pointing to the bottom of the page. "I thought not. Otherwise, you would have read the warning that accompanies it. That draught has been known to backfire and prohibit the organs from functioning. The result is instantaneous death, and I will not allow it."

"But if I took it in small doses," she protested, eyes scanning the entry.

"You are not _listening_.” He wanted to shake her, to scream that she wanted to take too many risks.

He opted for a growl and a glare. “It is far too dangerous, even for a short time."

"But -"

"That is the end of it. And if I find you wandering the corridors alone again, you _will_ receive a detention, at the least."

"I was coming to talk to you," she said morosely, her eyes wide.

"I told you to remain here, and you blatantly disobeyed. Never mind that you were out of bed after hours – have I been so lax during the holiday that you have forgotten the level of danger you put yourself in by flitting around alone?”

This time, he _was_ nearly screaming at her. Her eyes widened more and became guarded, her breathing increasing.

“I – I thought whoever it is – I thought we decided they weren’t at the castle now.”

Severus took a deep breath, willing his anger down. “We _assume_. As we don’t know their identity, we can’t say for certain.”

“But you said I was safe –“

“Only so long as you stayed in these rooms as I instructed.” He let out a frustrated exhalation and gestured to the book in her hand. “And as to that potion, even were I to allow you to take it - which I will not - every student and staff member who has stayed over the holidays knows you're alive. Are you going to invite _all_ of them in on this insane plan?"

"I hadn't thought of that," she said quietly, closing the book and dropping her eyes it.

“That is clear,” he said sharply. “Aurora, I am as anxious to catch the persons responsible as you are, but you must _think_ before you rush into every half-baked scheme that pops in your head!”

Severus sighed again and took a deep breath. She was clutching the book to her chest, her chin resting on top of it, her eyes on the floor as he railed against her. He was reminded suddenly just how young she was. Of course she wasn’t going to anticipate every possible scenario.

“Aside from all of these _valid_ reasons for not permitting this, that draught takes two months to properly brew. It wouldn’t be feasible. However, that does not mean you should give up trying,” he offered, his voice subdued, his irritation in check. Her eyes moved from the floor to his face. “So long as you bring any plan to me _before_ you act on it.”

She nodded. “I will, Father.”

“Good.” He sighed again. “Good,” he muttered. “Now, to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a trying day for the both of us.”

Severus watched her go into her bedroom, his eyes on her door long after the light vanished from beneath it.

He knew that as much as things had changed for them in the last week, revealing her identity to the rest of the school at the evening feast was going to change everything even more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Aurora sat at the breakfast table with the trio of boys, staring angrily into her bowl of oatmeal.

"Cheer up," Harry said. "After tonight, everybody will know, and you can stop pretending."

"It isn't that," she said, pushing her bowl away. "It's just that I've got to tell Kim today."

"Don't you have to tell Erin, too?" Ron asked through a mouthful of sausages.

"No - Erin has known since the train ride. She 'saw' it or something, I guess."

"Kim's not going to be happy that you kept it from her," Basil said.

"I know," Aurora said unhappily. "I wanted to tell her so many times - I wanted to tell all of you, but I just couldn't."

"I know," he said, giving her an encouraging smile.

It didn’t help. Her stomach was still in knots as they went through their day, waiting for the rest of the students to arrive.

Basil and Aurora were in the Great Hall just before dinner, playing a game of wizard’s chess, when they heard the front door bang open. The semi-quietness of the Hall was obliterated as the returning students found their friends. Aurora spotted Erin and Kim and waved to them as they headed towards her. Draco Malfoy entered behind them, and smirked when he saw Aurora.

"Well," she said, bracing herself for the inevitable, "here goes nothing." As soon as the girls got to her, they embraced her, both of them exclaiming how well rested she looked.

"But you didn't owl once," Kim pouted, her arms crossed over her chest. "I was sure you'd at least write _once_." Basil and Aurora exchanged glances with each other, and the two girls were immediately on guard.

"Did something happen?" Erin asked anxiously. Aurora nodded, then looked around at the students pouring into the room.

"Let's go up to the library," she suggested, "and I'll tell you all about it." Her friends did nothing to hide the concerned looks on their faces as they headed up the stairs. Basil laid a hand on Aurora's arm before they'd climbed a step, and when she turned around to see what he wanted, she saw Jamie coming into the Hall.

"She doesn't look like she's surprised to see you," he whispered as Jamie waved tentatively at the group. Aurora nodded stiffly, still not ready to write Jamie off as a suspect.

"Well, maybe she's just hiding it," Kim hissed. "She's certainly fooled us all so far." Basil narrowed his eyes at Kim's inference, but said nothing as Hermione entered the hall and rushed over to them.

"Hi guys! How were your holidays?" The two students who had stayed over break said nothing, and finally Basil spoke up.

"We're just going to the library, Hermione," he offered. “Ron and Harry are already up there.”

"Great! Have they found anything about -" she stopped and looked at the group sheepishly. "Great. Mind if I tag along?"

"Course not," Kim replied immediately. She and Hermione began to take the lead to the library, where Aurora herded everyone towards a secluded table in the corner that Harry and Ron were sitting at. They all sat down, exchanging greetings, and waited for her to speak.

Aurora took a deep breath, looking around at all of them.

"Well, as I've lost track of who knows and who doesn't know at this point, I'll just start from the beginning, shall I?"

She told them about her threatening letters, taking the sleeping draught on the Sunday they left, and the dreams she began having.

"So I'm standing in the middle of this forest, about to give up on everything, and from out of nowhere comes my father. He tells me what's really going on is that I'm dreaming, which I'd already figured out, but more than that, it was because I was poisoned."

Hermione and Kim let out squeals of terror, and Erin's skin paled considerably.

"D-do they know who?" Erin asked quietly. Aurora hesitated, then shrugged.

"They think it was Jamie," she said softly. Kim's eyes narrowed immediately.

"Wouldn't surprise me, the way she's been acting lately," she spat. "So is she going to be expelled?"

"No. There's no proof."

"But she _was_ up there after we came down," Erin said, as if she'd just remembered. "It _had_ to be her."

"Just because she's in the wrong place at the wrong time doesn't mean she did it," Basil said. "I personally don't think it was her, at least not willingly."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"The Imperius Curse?" Hermione suggested. Basil nodded. "But who would have done it?"

"What's the Imperius Curse?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ron!" Ron shrugged and looked around.

"What?"

"The Imperius Curse is when someone has complete control over another person," Erin explained, not attempting to hide the glare she shot at Hermione. "It isn't in any of our first year books, Ronnie. I'm not surprised you hadn't heard of it yet."

"Oh, well, that sounds like something Malfoy would do," he countered, not the least bit phased by Hermione's exasperated sigh.

" _Ron_ , a first year would never be able to pull off an Imperius Curse. Not unless they were top of their class,"

"So, not unless they were you, then," Erin said coldly from the other side of Ron. Hermione blushed profusely as she shut her mouth.

"Well - before everyone decides to hang Jamie _without proof_ ," Basil said, "there's more. Go on, Aurora." Aurora looked at him gratefully as she cleared her throat. She looked at Kim's face, then reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Kim, before I say this, I want you to know that there were _so_ many times I wanted to tell you, but -" she looked at her friend helplessly. "I just couldn't." She took a deep breath. "Professor Snape is my father," she said, searching her friend's face for any sign of anger.

"What?" Kim asked, her mouth hung open in shock.

"I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, because, well, because he was afraid that something like what's been happening would happen. Please don't be mad at me," she begged. The table was silent for a moment, and after what seemed like hours, Kim spoke.

"No wonder he goes so easy on you."

Aurora laughed and breathed a sigh of relief as she gave her friend a quick squeeze.

"And no wonder you always stick up for _him_ ," Hermione said darkly, exchanging glances with Harry and Ron.

"So how come you can tell us now?" Kim asked.

"Because Dumbledore's going to announce it tonight," Aurora said.

"But why?"

"We thought it would be safer if I didn't stay in the dormitory anymore.”

"So where are you going to stay?" Kim asked.

"With my father, in his quarters."

Erin let out an excited squeal, while Kim stuck out her tongue.

"That's lovely," Kim said. "So now, instead of being around us all day, you've got to be around _Snape_. That's horrible."

"It's not so bad," Aurora shrugged. "Besides, I don't think I could stand being around Jamie so much right now."

"If they’re almost positive it was her, what kind of proof do they need before they'll expel her?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Aurora answered in exasperation as she told them about her plan from the previous evening.

"And he said no?" Harry gawked. "I would've backed your story up."

"Yes, but don't you see how right he was to refuse to let her do it?" Hermione argued. "It sounds much too dangerous."

"Hermione's right," Basil said softly. "If it's that dangerous, it's not worth it."

"Oh, come on you guys!" Harry protested. "If she was careful enough, it would have worked!"

"Well, the fact remains that Snape said no, and it's too late now," Kim said. "So, what else can we do to get her to confess?" Everyone at the table exchanged dumbfounded glances.

"Why don't we ask Jamie if she saw anything?" Basil suggested. "We could gauge her reaction when we tell her about the poisoning - if she's not surprised, then either she or Draco must have had a part in it."

"I've got a better idea. If it is her, then she's doing a good job of pretending to be sweet and innocent. Why don't we slip her a truth serum? There's bound to be one in one of these books," Hermione said.

"There's one in a book Father let me borrow once," Aurora exclaimed. "One of the potions I researched for detention was a truth serum."

"Yeah, but will he let you borrow it again?" Ron questioned.

"I'm sure I could remember most of it," Aurora mused. "It didn't seem very difficult at the time. I know it had ashwinder eggs, jobberknoll feathers, beetle eyes," she continued to rattle off ingredients. "There was one more, but I can't remember! I'll have to look at that book again."

"Just ask Snape for help," Basil said.

"No way." Harry shook his head. "If he wouldn't let her do that one from last night, he isn't going to let her do a truth serum."

"A truth serum is a lot less dangerous than a potion that stops your organs," Basil argued. "Besides, it's a good idea."

"But how will we get it to her?" Erin asked. "If it is her, then she'll know something's up the minute we start cozying up to her."

"We could slip it into her goblet at dinner," Kim suggested. "She still likes to sit by us when she eats, even if she doesn't say anything."

"There's too many teachers who could see," Hermione worried. "If we're going to do this, we've got to come up with a better plan." They group looked at each other in frustration, each of them trying to come up with a way to get the serum to Jamie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While the children were up in the library, a number of staff members were in Dumbledore's office, having a discussion much along the same lines.

"I for one was keeping a very close watch on Miss Hobbs," Pomona Sprout offered, "and she did not act at all as though she had expected Aurora to be dead when she returned."

"Maybe she knew that Professor Snape would save her," Hagrid argued. "Maybe it was just a warning."

"I know that if I poisoned someone with moonseed, I'd be damned surprised to see them still walking around," Severus said. He was leaning against the banister leading to Dumbledore's loft as he listened to the barrage of observations his colleagues had made that morning.

His head throbbed. This was getting them nowhere.

"Perhaps Hagrid is right," Filius squeaked. "I still don't see how Jamie Hobbs could be behind this. She's such a sweet girl, always quiet in class."

"Appearances _can_ be deceiving, Filius," Minerva retorted. "While I myself would like to have a bit more evidence to go on, Miss Hobbs _is_ our only suspect at this point."

"It may be prudent, then, to come up with some sort of plan which will allow us to gather evidence," Dumbledore suggested gently.

"We could place a Watcher, perhaps in the girls’ dormitory, to keep an eye on her," Minerva offered.

"Yes, but is she likely to talk about it with her dorm mates, both of whom are Aurora's close friends?" Pomona countered. "Why don't we simply sit Miss Hobbs and Mr. Malfoy down and have a chat with them? We could find out exactly what they know."

"What's to keep them from lyin'?" Hagrid bellowed. "Anyone who'd do that to a kid wouldn't be above lyin'."

"That's an excellent point, Hagrid," Minerva admitted before turning to Severus. "Severus, your skills as a Legilimens are well-known. Surely if you are present, you could detect if they were being anything but truthful?" Severus nodded.

"Unless either of them has studied Occlumency with any regularity, I should have little difficulty," he affirmed. “And their age makes that highly unlikely.”

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore exclaimed, rising from his seat. "Then it is all settled. We shall bring the children down to your office tomorrow evening, Severus. I believe the atmosphere there will be more, shall we say, fear-invoking? All of those animals floating in jars."

Severus said nothing as he followed the other teachers from the office. His mind was already going over the questions he would ask the two students once they arrived.

He came crashing out of his thoughts when an owl swooped in front of him, dropping a letter into his hands. One look at the handwriting set his teeth on edge, and he hurried to his office where he could read it in private.

He closed the door behind him and settled into his chair, wanting to simply chuck the offending parchment out of the window, but knowing that would only delay the inevitable. He broke the seal, surprising himself when he saw that his hands weren't trembling.

_Severus,_

_Circumstances have arisen that require my speaking with you in person. I shall be at the school this evening after the feast, and trust that you will be reachable upon my arrival._

_Regards,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Wonderful. No doubt Lucius had told his merry band all about Aurora by now. This was no less than he'd expected, yet it still made him uneasy. Lucius coming to see him meant one thing: he wanted to confront Severus again, without Narcissa’s intervention. What more would he say when he saw him? _Sorry, Lucius, but I was not at liberty to reveal her identity to you, because I was afraid that you'd try to kill her?_

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples wearily.

That wasn’t fair. It hadn’t been Lucius specifically he’d been worried about. But if he’d not kept his oldest living friend in the dark, Aurora’s existence would have become common knowledge in a matter of months.

His thoughts were interrupted by a timid knock on the door.

"Enter," he snapped irritably. The door opened, admitting Aurora, Erin and Kim. "Is there something you needed, girls?"

"Well," Aurora said, squaring her shoulders, "I was wondering if I could borrow one of the books we used during my detentions."

Severus's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I see. What did you need it for?"

She glanced at her friends before she turned to him again.

"Just wanted to look through it," she said.

"Which book?”

"Um," she looked at her friends again.

"Go on," hissed Erin.

"Well," she looked up at him again, refusing to meet his eyes. "I wanted to look at _125 Draughts for Aurors_.”

_Interesting choice._

He stood from his chair and walked over to his bookshelves, withdrawing the requested book. As he handed it to his daughter, he saw surprise register on her face.

"Th-thank you," she stammered as she turned to leave.

"Wait."

She stopped in her tracks and turned slowly around.

"As I've told you before, that book does not leave my office." Her face fell slightly, but then she smiled up at him.

"All right," she said happily, coming farther into the room and settling herself comfortably on the floor, her friends following her hesitantly. Severus shook his head as he looked over at the page they were viewing.

"Thinking of interrogating someone, are we?" Kim and Erin jerked their heads up, wide eyes staring at him, while Aurora continued to study the book.

"Just an idea I had," she said casually, flipping the page over.

"I see. You wouldn't be thinking of _trying_ this idea, would you?"

"That depends," she said, still not looking up from the book.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you help us," she said, meeting his eyes.

"Oh? Suppose you tell me exactly what I'm to help you with."

She stood up and handed him the book.

"We want to give Jamie a truth serum."

"I see," he said carefully, setting the book aside. "Am I to assume then that you will question her on your poisoning?"

"Yes."

"How do you propose to get the serum to her?"

"That's where you come in," she said slowly. "We figured you could ask her to stay after class or something, then offer her some tea with it in it. Something like that."

Tea. Honestly.

“And as I often ask students to share a cup of tea, there would be no cause for her to be suspicious,” he said dryly.

"You told me not to stop trying, and it's the only thing we could come up with!" she protested.

"Truth serum is controlled by very strict guidelines by the Ministry of Magic. I would be putting the headmaster in a difficult position if I were to use it on a student." He shook his head. “I can’t help you.”

"Fine," she muttered. "I guess I'll just sit idly by until she makes another pass at me then."

"Aurora," he said quietly as she turned to leave. "The other staff members and I have come up with another plan to see how much both Mr. Malfoy and Miss Hobbs know of your attack. When we find anything of use, we will tell you." She didn't say a word, but nodded and walked out of the room, her friends trailing silently behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, _that_ was a wasted visit," moaned Kim as the trio met up with the remainder of the group outside of Severus's classroom.

"I _told_ you he wouldn't help you!" Harry said smugly.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked.

"Only that he wouldn't help us," Erin replied.

"Aurora, if he isn't going to help us, why are you grinning like that?" Basil asked.

"I didn't expect him to," she said, starting to walk up the stairs. "All I needed was a good look at that book, and I got it. Let's go up to the library so I can write it all down before I forget."

Her friends stared at her in shock.

"But Snape said -" Ron began.

"He said he wouldn't help us, I know. But he never said _we_ couldn't do it by ourselves." She smiled sweetly at them before turning and climbing the stairs again.


	39. Explanations

Severus arrived in the Great Hall well before the other inhabitants of the castle that evening. He brooded as he waited, his mind on the confrontation that was going to transpire in his office after the feast. His thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat, and looking up, he saw that Minerva was standing next to him.

"Minerva," he greeted her, gesturing to an empty chair next to him. She took the seat, her eyes remaining fixed on his face.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" she offered.

Severus smiled humorlessly, then leaned back in his chair and sighed as he scrutinized her face.

"Lucius Malfoy has requested a private meeting this evening."

"I see."

"I am not entirely certain what he intends."

“Have you ever been?” she asked with an amused smirk.

“Fair point.”

She rose as other staff members and students began to file in.

“He isn’t a _complete_ fool, Severus. Malfoy would not dare raise his wand to you within these walls. Don’t allow him to lure you outside the castle.” She patted his shoulder before taking her proper seat next to Albus.

As the students began to fill the hall, his thoughts turned from Lucius to the impending announcement from the headmaster. Searching the throng of students, he spotted Aurora sitting in her usual spot, chattering away with her friends. She glanced up at him, then looked away quickly.

He frowned.

What was she up to now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, there's too many people around now," Aurora whispered hurriedly after looking away from her father. "We'll make more plans after dinner." Kim and Erin nodded their consent, throwing similar looks to the imposing professor who was now studying them, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Do you think he'll know what we're up to?" Kim asked, wringing her hands.

"Not if we stop being so obvious," Erin said, turning towards the topic of their conversation and giving him a grin and a wave. Aurora suppressed a giggle as her father's scowl deepened.

"I don't think he appreciated that, Erin."

"Ah, well. If he can't handle a friendly greeting -" she stopped speaking as Jamie walked up to the table.

"Hey girls! Have a good holiday?" she asked as she sat next to Erin. The trio of Ravenclaws exchanged glances before Aurora finally spoke.

"Fine, Jamie. Yours?"

"Fantastic! Mum and Dad invited the Malfoys over for dinner and -" her voice faltered as she saw the disapproving glare on the other girls' faces. "It was grand," she mumbled, turning away. An uncomfortable silence settled over the girls as Minerva rapped on her goblet, and Albus stood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus turned his attention away from his daughter and whatever she was plotting, and focused instead on the aging headmaster, holding his breath as he began to speak.

"I would like to welcome you all back to Hogwarts," Albus began warmly, his blue eyes twinkling merrily in the candlelight. “I hope you all had a good holiday and are ready to begin learning once again. We at Hogwarts had a rather eventful break, the long and short of it being that Miss Aurora Rinkle, of Ravenclaw house, was done a great injustice on the day you all departed.”

Severus scanned the faces of the students, eyes sharp for any sign that they knew what was coming. He saw only confusion, a low murmuring amongst the tables at Albus’s words.

“But because of this, the caution which she and her father had, up to now, deemed necessary is no longer required. Please join me in welcoming her back as Miss Aurora Snape.”

A stunned silence fell over the congregation of students as they all craned their necks to get a view of the short Ravenclaw at the end of the hall. Glances flickered uneasily between Severus and Aurora until the silence was finally broken by a spattering of applause from her friends. Soon the entire hall was clapping, though some were admittedly half-hearted. Severus saw Jamie give Aurora an interested gaze before she went back to staring at the headmaster, but there was no surprise in her face.

As the applause quieted down, Albus beamed at them all.

"Dig in!"

Severus watched with disgust as the students began shoveling the food into their mouths, all the while chatting with their friends. _Honestly_ , he thought, _you'd think they were raised by wolves_. He shook his head as he noticed his daughter was doing the exact same thing. He picked up his fork and began to eat his dinner, though his stomach turned at the thought of Lucius waiting for him in his office.

As he was finishing his shepherd's pie, Quirrell leaned close to him. Severus laid down his fork in agitation as he turned towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Have you lost something, Quirrell?"

"W-well, I just wanted to s-say how nice it is t-to finally see you a-accepting her openly," he stammered.

"I'm glad you approve," Severus said icily. He took the moment to probe into the other man’s mind, searching for what he’d been getting up to all term.

His jaw tightened as the three-headed dog that Hagrid had leant for the protection of the Philosopher’s Stone swam into Quirrell’s mind.

The fool had nothing to do with Aurora’s torment – he was after the stone.

_Bloody wonderful._

"If you'll excuse me, I've an urgent appointment I must keep," Severus said coldly, rising from the table and ignoring the bemused look Quirrell was giving him. He strode from the Hall and towards his impending meeting with Lucius.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When are we going to start the potion?" Kim hissed as Severus left the Hall.

"We can't talk about it now," Aurora whispered back. "Somebody's bound to hear."

Kim turned back to her food, continuing to shoot glares at Jamie.

"She's going to know something's up if you don't stop giving her the evil eye," Erin chided.

Kim obediently looked away, though her eyebrows remained fixed into an angry scowl. The girls finished their dinners and went out into the hall to wait for the rest of their friends.

"So are we starting tonight?" Kim asked anxiously, keeping her voice low. Aurora looked at the plethora of students milling about the Entrance Hall and shushed her.

"Not yet. We'll have to get all the ingredients first, then we've got to figure out where we're going to brew it," said Aurora.

Basil came striding out of the Hall, and a few moments later, the trio of Gryffindors had joined the quartet.

"All right. Let's go up to the library," Hermione suggested. "It's the day before term, there won't be anybody up there yet."

The group readily agreed and headed up towards the library for the second time that day.

"Right. So what ingredients do we need?" Ron asked as they sat down.

Aurora pulled out the parchment she'd written the directions on and read them off.

"Salamander skin, jobberknoll feathers, ashwinder eggs, beetle eyes, dittany, essence of belladonna, ginger roots, and armadillo bile," she read.

"Most of those aren't in our first-year supplies," Basil pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'll bet Snape'll have all of them in his private stores," Ron replied.

All eyes turned to Aurora.

"No way, guys. I can't break in to his _private_ stores! He'll know right away it was me – especially when he sees what's missing. Besides, I have no idea which wards he’s used on the door to his room. We've got to find another way."

"How?" Harry asked.

"The only other way would be if we went to Hogsmeade and bought them," Basil said.

"Or have someone go _for_ us," Erin said, her eyes bright with discovery.

Aurora grinned. "Someone like Deidre?"

Erin nodded.

"But she isn't talking to us anymore," Kim said.

"Then we've got to make sure she starts again," Aurora said. "It's brilliant, Erin. If we can get back on Deidre's good side -"

"But that could take weeks, even months!" Ron groaned.

"It won't hurt to try," Basil retorted.

"But we still need somewhere to brew it," Hermione pointed out.

"We could use the dorm room," Kim said.

"Except that Jamie sleeps there too,” said Aurora.

"We could put Harry's invisibility cloak over it!" Kim argued.

"I'm not having you burn up my cloak!" Harry exclaimed angrily.

"Okay, so the Ravenclaw dorm is out," Basil said. "What about your room, Aurora?"

"Yeah, Snape will _really_ let her make it in her room," Harry shot at him.

"Can we please not fight about it?" Aurora asked, shooting a glance at Madam Pince as their voices began to rise.

"What about a bathroom?" Harry suggested. "We could stick it in one of the stalls, with an out of order sign on it.”

"Yeah, and pray Filch doesn't find it," Erin scoffed.

"Okay, so we don't have a place to brew it yet. That's all right," Aurora said. "Let's focus on finding one, then.”

“I bet my brothers can tell us where there's a secret tunnel nobody ever uses or something,” Ron said.

"Great!”Aurora said. “And the rest of us will keep our eyes open for anything that will work.”

“In the meantime, maybe I could help with the wards?” Hermione asked. “I read about a spell the other day that might help. And if it’s quicker than getting them from this Deidre person, we ought to at least try.”

Aurora stared at her, going over her father’s threat of punishment should she tamper with his wards. But it was the night before term, and he would be getting his classroom ready for the first morning’s class.

“All right,” she conceded. “But we have to be quick.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucius was already waiting outside Severus’s office when he arrived, his grey eyes snapping impatiently.

“Lucius,” Severus greeted, removing the wards from his office and opening the door, motioning for his friend to enter. “I’m surprised you felt the need to come all the way up to Hogwarts to speak with me, when we had such a lengthy visit the other night. Surely a letter would have sufficed for whatever it is you need?"

“You bloody well know why I’m here,” Lucius snapped, stepping inside and watching Severus’s movement as he followed, closing the door behind him. “Narcissa was placated by your excuses. Our colleagues were not.”

“And you?” Severus asked, standing in front of his desk, eyes piercing Lucius’s. “I had the impression that you held your tongue on New Year’s. That were it not for Narcissa –“

“Were it not for Narcissa, your child might have found herself fatherless,” Lucius said, jaw tightening. “We are more than friends, Severus. We are _brothers_. And your deception –“ he drew in a shallow breath. “- it cut deeper than any wound my father ever gave.”

Severus felt his chest tighten. This Lucius, this was the boy from school, the arrogant, self-assured _friend_. He hadn’t seen him in ten years.

“Had it not been necessary, for her own protection –“

Lucius waved a hand and shook his head, breaking their gaze. But Severus had seen the hurt he was trying to hide. “Yes, yes. You had better come up with a better line, old friend. The others are waiting at the manor, and I daresay their opinions won’t be colored by friendship.”

Severus’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered Minerva’s words, warning him against leaving the castle.

“Much as I would enjoy being interrogated for what I can only assume will be hours, term begins tomorrow, and I have responsibilities –“

"You have a higher responsibility to the Dark Lord,” Lucius said smoothly, his gaze now even, devoid of emotion.

“Well, should _he_ request an explanation, I will be happy to comply,” Severus said with an arched brow. “As that is unlikely, I will continue in the duty that he himself gave me – by doing my job.” He gestured to his desk and the scrolls piled on top of it. “I am a busy man, Lucius. I have neither the time nor the inclination to prostrate myself before those imbeciles.”

"Severus, don't be a fool,” Lucius hissed. “Come to the manor, talk with the others.” He sighed heavily. “You were protecting your child. That's something many of them will understand." His voice was more subdued, more pleading than it had been before.

"Very well," he sighed. "Though I'm sure none of them will be the slightest bit sympathetic when my first class isn't prepared in the morning. I do need to stop by my quarters for my cloak first." Lucius nodded his assent, and the two walked to Severus's quarters.

Severus frowned as he saw Aurora's friends were congregated around his door, and he raised his eyebrow in question.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," they chorused in unison.

"Do you often have throngs of students outside of your quarters, Severus?" Lucius asked smugly.

"Of course not," he snapped. "What are you all doing here?"

"Waiting for Aurora," Erin replied, her eyes flicking towards the door.

"I see. So she is inside?" He began to walk towards the door.

"Professor Snape! She, uh, she isn't in there," Harry protested.

Severus narrowed his eyes.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for lying, Potter," he snarled as he swept past them and into his quarters. He was vaguely aware of Lucius's penetrating gaze as he rounded the corner into Aurora's bedroom, but ignored it completely as he saw that she wasn't there. He frowned, then spun on his heel and raced to his own room, anger mounting when he detected that all of his wards had been removed as he pushed the door open.

Aurora looked up from the cupboard which held his private stores at the sound of the door, her eyes wide. Next to her, Hermione jumped and let out a terrified squeal. Crossing the room, he grasped Aurora by the arm and pulled her into the sitting room, forcing her into a chair. His eyes blazed with anger as he loomed over her. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed. "I have warned you about going through my things!" Aurora stared up at him, her eyes flicking over to Hermione.

Severus turned to the other terrified first year. “And you, Miss Granger? I do not recall giving you leave to access my private rooms, let alone my private stores.”

“I was helping Aurora – she didn’t know the wards you’d used –“ Hermione said, chewing on her lower lip as she approached the chair in which Aurora sat.

“For good reason,” he snapped. “And what exactly was it you hoped to find in my private stores?”

"For - for -" Aurora’s eyes searched the room frantically as she tried to come up with some excuse.

"Aurora," he warned, his voice low, "the truth, now."

Her eyes came back to his, and she bowed her head.

"I was looking for some Dreamless Sleep," she muttered morosely. "My nightmares started coming back last night."

Her words sent chills down his spine, but his anger remained intact, especially when he looked at Hermione, who was fidgeting.

“Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. And a detention. Be thankful it isn’t more. Now get out.”

Hermione hesitated, her eyes darting to Aurora’s.

“ _Now_ , Miss Granger,” he said, eyes snapping. Hermione swallowed and nodded, racing past Lucius and out the door.

Severus waited until the door had closed behind her, then turned on his daughter again. He sat on the arm of the chair opposite her and crossed his arms as he scrutinized her face. "If you truly needed Dreamless Sleep, you would have asked for it when I returned."

She remained silent, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Severus, if I might make a suggestion?" Lucius spoke up from behind Aurora.

Severus slid his gaze up to look at the other man, his heart pounding.

"I believe I can handle my own child, Lucius," he spat. Ignoring the flash of anger on Lucius's face, he turned again to Aurora. "If you refuse to be honest-"

"Perhaps the girl needs to be punished," Lucius interrupted, an odd gleam in his eye. Severus looked at the man again, not daring to let him see how his comment had affected him.

"Lucius, wait in the hall. I will deal with this issue, and then will rejoin you in a moment. And try not to hex the students."

Lucius did not look happy at the prospect of waiting on the other side of the door, but he went. As the door shut behind him, Severus again turned to Aurora.

"Why?"

She looked up at him, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you lie about your dreams?"

"I'm not-"

"We both know you are. What were you _really_ looking for?" When she remained silent, he sighed. "You were the one who reminded me how important trust is," he said quietly. "Yet here you are, shattering the delicate bond we have. I thought I could trust you – obviously that isn’t true. Should I simply not allow you to leave your room except for class from now on, as I threatened? I'll most assuredly have to put stronger wards on my doors."

She looked down at her shoes again, and he rose, re-fortifying his room.

"I was just seeing what you had in there," she mumbled.

"Why?" She looked up at him, tears of frustration in her eyes.

"Because I'm tired of sitting around and waiting for things to happen to me before anyone does anything," she cried.

"We're doing everything -"

"No, you're not!" she exclaimed. "You keep saying you're doing everything you can, but what is that? Watching Jamie to see if she slips up? I don't want to wait around for that, okay?"

"As I said this morning, we shall be questioning Miss Hobbs tomorrow afternoon."

"What are you waiting for?"

"We don't want to appear to be accusing her, Aurora."

"But if you are, maybe _then_ she'll confess!"

"What if it wasn't her?" he asked.

She looked at him, dumbfounded.

"I thought you said it _had_ to be her."

"All evidence points to it, yes. And after tomorrow, I will have sufficient cause for Professor Dumbledore to expel her, should she be the one behind your poisoning."

"What will you do?" she asked eagerly.

I will discuss that with you at a later time," he said shortly, looking towards the door to the hall where Lucius was waiting for him. "Right now I have to explain to my _friends_ why I've kept you secret for so long." The irritaion in her eyes turned immediately to fear.

"Don't go," she said.

"I have to go."

"No. Don't go, Father, _please!_ "

He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his own, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll be all right. I know how to handle this. Trust me."

At his final words she threw her arms around his neck.

"Be careful," she whispered.

He patted her back, then pulled her arms away.

"You may want to wipe your face before you go into the hall," he advised as he gave her his handkerchief.

"Thanks," she said softly as she accepted it.

He stood and quickly walked to the door, lest he keep Lucius waiting any longer than necessary. As he pulled it open, he nearly laughed at the scene before him. Lucius leaned casually against the wall, gazing at the students who had moved slightly farther down. The students, in return, were glaring at him, as though he'd just said something incredibly offensive.

_Which he probably has_ , Severus thought as he closed the door. Lucius looked past him into the room to see Aurora's hunched shoulders before the door shut, and he smirked.

"Well, at least you made her cry," he remarked smoothly as he pushed off the wall.

Severus followed behind him, shaking his head in warning to Basil, who looked as though he wanted to strangle the elder Malfoy. As they left the students behind, Lucius spoke again. "Interesting group of friends your daughter has," he observed. "Mudbloods and the dregs of Wizard kind? And of course, the infamous Harry Potter."

"And you’re fond of all of Draco’s friends, are you?" Severus commented dryly as they made their way out the front door of Hogwarts.

"Odd that Rosier never mentioned Basil was hanging around her," he continued, ignoring Severus's question.

"Well, that's something you'll have to ask him about, isn't it?"

"Indeed."

Lucius Disapparated as soon as they reached Hogsmeade and, gritting his teeth against the welcome he was sure to receive, Severus followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora dried her eyes as she stepped out of the room, frowning at her group of friends. They were all glaring around the corner.

"What's going on?" she asked, startling them enough to cause them all to jump.

"Don't sneak up on people like that!" Hermione scolded. Aurora rolled her eyes.

"It isn't my fault you were all facing the other direction," she shot back.

"Why were you crying?" Basil asked, anger still burning brightly in his eyes.

"What's wrong with you all?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"We found out where Doofus gets his bubbling personality," Kim said.

"Really? What happened?"

"The git made some stupid comments about Erin's dad," Ron said angrily. Aurora frowned.

"Like what?"

"Look, can we just not talk about it anymore?" Erin interjected, forcing a smile. "What happened in _there_?"

"He caught me going through his cupboard," she said carelessly.

"Thanks for clarifying," Harry retorted. "Hermione already told us that."

"Then he got angry and asked what I was doing."

"Everything we need is in there," Hermione said.

"But there's no way that I'll be able to take a bit now,” Aurora said.

_And no way I’m going to be able to get back in to find what he’s hiding in there_. She’d wanted to look through the room and let Hermione raid the cupboard, but there hadn’t been enough time.

“We've just got to make sure we get friendly with Deidre,” Aurora said.

"Right," Harry said. "Then let's go find her."

"She's probably recruiting somewhere," Kim said.

"Is she still doing S.P.A.M. though?" Aurora asked. "Or did she give up after the petition incident?"

"She was handing out pamphlets on the Hogwarts Express before the holidays," Kim said.

"Oh is _that_ who we're looking for?" Hermione squealed with excitement. "I spoke to her a bit on the train. She was ever so nice." The excitement in her voice faded as she looked at them in astonishment. " _You_ aren't the group of first years who forged the signatures, are you?" she asked, her mouth hanging open.

"Sure are," Erin said breezily, rolling her eyes at Aurora.

"She told me all about it," Hermione explained. "That was a horrible thing to do. She put all that work into it, and you all ruined it for her."

"Thanks for reminding us, Hermione. We'd forgotten that little speed bump," Aurora said sarcastically. "That would be why we have to go and _apologize_ some more. Did she say anything on the train about future S.P.A.M. plans?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Not to me. But I did see those pamphlets, so I don't think she's given up on it yet. She just saw the petition fiasco as a small setback."

"Okay. So maybe we can get on her good side by participating in S.P.A.M. again," Harry suggested.

"I will not let you guys join just to get her to do something for you," Hermione said.

"Do you have any other bright ideas on how to get those potion ingredients?" Erin asked.

"Hermione's got a point," Basil said quietly.

The group turned to stare at him.

"I mean, it isn't right for you all to join S.P.A.M. again after what happened. But it _would_ be okay for Hermione to join. She obviously feels strongly about the cause."

They turned their attention from Basil to Hermione, waiting for her reaction.

"That's not a bad idea," she mused.

"Then the rest of us could focus on where to start brewing it," Aurora said. "Perfect! Good job, Basil!"

Basil blushed and grinned at the praise.

"But I'm not going to lie to her," Hermione said. "If she asks what I need the ingredients for -"

"You'll tell her they're for a Potions project," Erin said flatly. "If you tell her exactly what's going on, she may not do it. Or she may go to Snape or Dumbledore."

"And it isn't really lying," Ron pointed out. "You _do_ need them for a project."

"Well, I suppose-"

"Great!" Aurora said. "Hermione, you work on Deidre. The rest of us will start looking for a good spot to brew."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus Apparated outside the gates of Malfoy Manor, immediately putting himself on guard as he caught up to Lucius.

“They’ll all be waiting in the drawing room,” Lucius said. “Narcissa’s been keeping the Elfin wine handy.”

“Wonderful. So they’ll be _drunken_ imbeciles,” Severus growled.

Lucius smirked, setting his face back to inscrutable as they entered the drawing room.

Unlike New Year’s Eve, tonight the room held a long table in the center of the room. Seated at the table were the members of the Death Eaters who continued to meet despite the lack of the Dark Lord’s presence.

Lucius took the seat at the head of the table, and Severus noticed with amusement that there was no chair for him. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stood at the foot of the table, looking at the congregation expectantly.

"Lucius has told us some very interesting news," Walden McNair said, his eyes searching Severus's face.

"No doubt it was a shock to you all.”

"Why did you not tell us before?" Callum Nott asked.

"I felt the need to protect Aurora's identity from the Order."

"And from us as well?" Another man, Jugson, asked.

"It was imperative that she be kept from their notice," Severus said coolly. "I could not risk allowing anyone to know of her existence."

"Surely she wasn't in any danger before all of that - nastiness in '81," Geoffrey Goyle said.

Severus’s jaw clenched, his stomach tightening. Goyle was the least likely to be on his side; they’d been less than civil to each other since the day they were both sorted into Slytherin.

“She’s the same age as our own children,” Goyle went on. “And none of us felt the need to hide their very existence from each other."

Severus maintained his outward calm, but inside he was furious. He shouldn’t have to parade what little personal life he had in front of these idiots.

But he did have to, if he wanted to maintain his place in their ranks for Voldemort’s return.

“I myself was not aware of her existence until after the Dark Lord’s fall,” he said, ignoring the mocking sneer on Goyle’s face. “And as you are aware, Goyle, I have been monitored very closely by the Order since that time.”

"Come now, Severus," Rosier admonished. "You honestly believe that old crackpot of a headmaster would hurt a child? He's far too _noble_ for that sort of thing."

_But you aren't, are you?_ Severus thought to himself as images of the things Rosier had done flitted through his mind.

"Perhaps someone below Dumbledore would have taken it upon themselves," he said. "It has been known to happen, after all. I'm sure Jugson remembers."

The room grew silent, nervous gazes going to Jugson as they all remembered the charming boy who'd tagged along his father's side.

A rogue member of the Order had tried to arrest Jugson and in the process, the boy was killed.

Jugson stood up, his eyes cold and hard.

"I understand why you did this, Severus. Were I given another chance, I'd most likely do the same."

Severus nodded curtly to acknowledge him as the older man sat down, then turned to the other men at the table.

"Well? Have I passed your test?" he asked irritably. The men looked at one another before Rosier stood and spoke.

"I am still unsure as to why you felt the need to preserve her anonymity with _us_ ," he drawled. "However, I do see that it was imperative to keep her from the Order at that time. We will make sure that our own children treat her as her bloodline deserves."

"Did you know, Rosier, that Aurora and Basil are already _very_ close friends?" Lucius asked.

Severus fought the urge to hex him. This was payback for his silence about Aurora. The cost of Lucius defending him.

The vein on Rosier's neck began to throb angrily as he stared between Severus and Lucius.

"I was not," he said through clenched teeth. "Rest assured that my grandson will be dealt with for not informing me of his new - acquaintance."

"Is it not to the boy's credit that he was able to sense her inherent qualities?" Severus asked quickly, trying to stem the damage. "Why punish the boy for seeking friendship with one of his own?"

"But he did not know she was one of his own. She is in Ravenclaw, am I correct?" Severus nodded. "He was given strict instructions not to associate with anyone not in Slytherin. For that, he will be disciplined."

Severus felt sick to his stomach at the other man's words. He knew what it felt like to go home every summer to an unloving home, knew what Rosier was inferring with his threats. But there was nothing he could do short of killing the man, and that was out of the question, for obvious reasons. He finally shrugged nonchalantly and tried to look disinterested.

"Do what you wish, Rosier. He is your grandson."

"How very generous of you," Rosier sneered. Not able to take the sickening atmosphere any longer, Severus nodded brusquely to the men at the table.

"As thrilling as this was, gentlemen, I have classes to prepare before tomorrow’s start of term. I am sure you would not want your children’s education to suffer.” He did not wait for a response before gliding from the room, out the door and through the iron gate, only allowing himself to breathe again once he’d Apparated back to Hogsmeade.


	40. Voices

Aurora tried in vain to wait up for Severus’s return, curling up in the armchair by the fire with a book. But the hours dragged by, and her eyelids grew heavy. She drifted off to sleep, the book falling to the floor.

She was surrounded by darkness. The only sound was her own breath hanging in the air.

Another nightmare; it had to be. What fresh hell was her tormentor going to put her through this time?

Aurora took a tentative step forward, straining her ears for any other sound. And then she heard it – muffled and tinny, like an old record – two voices, arguing.

"You weren't supposed to hurt her!" the first voice hissed indignantly.

"It wasn't _supposed_ to hurt her," an icy voice replied. "It was meant to kill her. Obviously, the next time I won’t fail."

She focused on the voices – did she recognize them?

"This isn't right! She hasn't done anything!"

"It isn't a matter of what _she_ has done. Or have you forgotten already? Need I remind you?"

"That was a long time ago! He was only -"

" _Don't_ be an idiot. She is the daughter of a traitor. I won’t rest until he has been adequately punished."

"Nobody deserves what you're doing!"

"Don't you mean what _we're_ doing?" The first voice did not respond, and the second speaker laughed cruelly, causing the hair on the back of Aurora's neck to stand on end. She may not be able to recognize the voices, but she _knew_ that laugh. It lingered at the forefront of her mind, tauntingly evasive.

"I won't help you anymore!"

"Oh, you will," said the second voice, their voice low and calm. "Even if I have to force you -"

"I won't!"

"Then I'll have to tell her the part you've played in my little scheme. Won't she be surprised? _Don't_ force me to do anything - drastic."

"You, you - wouldn't!" the first voice whispered fearfully.

"Care to test that theory?" There was no answer. "Good. Now, you'll begin with the dreams again."

"This is wrong!"

" _Crucio!_ " Aurora screamed in unison with the victim then bolted up in her chair, shaking uncontrollably. She screamed again as someone grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Father,” she choked out, relief flooding through her as she collapsed onto his shoulder and began to sob.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her outburst startled him, but not so much as the insistent clutching at his shoulder. Grasping her arms in his hands, he pushed her back and studied her tear-stained face.

"What is it?"

"N-nightmare," she breathed.

"About your mother?" He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She shook her head as she used it to wipe her face.

"I dreamt about - it was like it was really happening," she stammered.

He frowned.

"Like what was really happening?"

"I heard the people - whoever's doing this to me - they were arguing."

"Did you recognize their voices?"

She shook her head.

"One of them laughed - I've heard it before, I know I have." She relayed the conversation she'd overheard, and when she'd finished, he slammed his fist angrily against the chair.

"I _knew_ this was my fault," he hissed. Aurora looked up at him in alarm.

"You aren't the one doing this," she said. "It isn't your fault some nutter has decided to terrorize me."

"That is a debate which has no end," he said wearily as he stood. "Nevertheless, at least we know one of them is having doubts."

“Not enough to stop this.”

"And you're sure you can't place their voices?"

"No, they were too quiet." She shuddered. "But if I ever hear that laugh again, I know I'll recognize it."

“Perhaps we won’t need to rely on that. If the accomplice is the one responsible for your dreams -"

"Then maybe they were the one who sent me that!"

"Precisely." He leaned against the table as he thought over the dream conversation. "They would have had to meet somewhere in the castle," he murmured. "I'll see if Filch has heard anyone out of bed. Stay here."

"Wait!" The pleading in her voice stopped him before he had reached the door. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was standing in front of the chair, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. "Either take me with you or stay here. Please."

Severus exhaled wearily. “You are perfectly safe in these rooms – you’ve just been alone in them for several hours,” he reminded her. “There is no circumventing a familial ward.”

“You thought there was no way anybody else knew I existed, either.”

It was a fair point.

“Whoever it was will most likely have gone by now anyway.” He put a hand on the back of her chair. “Would you like some sleeping draught? I did finish a batch this morning, should you need it.”

She shook her head.

"If I take it, the accomplice can't send me any more dreams, but they can't send me any more warnings, either."

_Good girl,_ he thought, allowing himself a burst of pride at her insight.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

He settled into the chair opposite her. "You should get some sleep. Have you taken the bezoar draught?”

“Yes, as soon as I got back to the room.”

“Good.” He inclined his head towards her room. “To bed, then. Term begins tomorrow.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” she said. “Goodnight, Father.”

“Goodnight.” He conjured up a glass of fire whiskey as he watched her shuffle to her room, taking a long swallow and letting the burn linger at the back of his throat.

The confrontation with the remaining Death Eaters at the manor had unnerved him, though it had gone far better than he’d expected.

"Father?" He looked up into his daughter's face, her eyes puffy from her earlier crying fit – she did seem to do that a lot - and couldn't help but smirk. From her nap in the chair, her hair was disheveled and frizzy, and she had a crease down her right cheek from the seam of the upholstery. Wearing her favorite blue pajamas and fuzzy green slippers, she was a picture of innocence.

Merlin, she was so _young_.

"Yes?"

"I'm not tired. Is it all right if I sit up with you for a bit?"

“You need to sleep,” he pressed. “Your body –“

“Is still healing. I know. But I’m just going to stare at the ceiling if lay down.”

He stood from his chair. “Then you’ll take a sleeping draught. Not dreamless sleep – “ he stopped as she shook her head. 

“No, I just wanted - I was worried when you weren’t back before I was,” she said quietly. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Of course I am. Perhaps now you’ll believe me when I say I will handle things,” he said, setting aside his goblet.

His irritation was rising. She was going to start pestering him about where he’d gone, fishing for information.

And he was in no mood to indulge it.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down his nose at her. “Since you are determined to stay awake, and since we are speaking of handling things – there is the matter of your breaking into my room that needs to be settled.”

She stared at him, her mouth open slightly. “But I thought –“

“That I was not a man of my word?” he said, brow arched. “Hardly. I would think, by now, you would have learned that there are consequences for your actions. Consequences I quite clearly laid out, and which you ignored.”

“There was no harm done,” she protested. “I wasn’t stealing anything!”

“That is not the point, Aurora.” He had intended on letting her off with a reprimand, but her insistence that she’d done nothing wrong was beginning to try his already thin patience. Perhaps it would be better to stick to his threat of taking away her free time, particularly if she was still trying to go around him and brew the truth serum she’d been sourcing ingredients for. “Beginning tomorrow, if you are not in class, you will be my shadow.”

Her mouth dropped open even more. “For how long?”

“Until I say otherwise.”

“That’s –“

“Apparently necessary,” he finished sharply. “As it seems the moment you spend any time with your friends you forget how to behave. Clearly, their influence clouds your judgement, and needs to be limited.”

Her fists clenched at her side. “My friends aren’t bad influences,” she said. “ _You’re_ friends with Lucius Malfoy!”

“Lucius Malfoy did not help you break into my room.”

“But why are you even friends with him?” Aurora asked.

Severus pursed his lips. He’d been asked that question for more than half his life now.

And he no longer had a convincing answer.

“That is none of your concern,” he said, words clipped. “The matter is settled.” He looked up at the clock on the mantel. “And it is well past time for you to be in bed.”

Her fists were still clenched at her sides, her jaw set. Her eyes were darker in the firelight, anger etched on her face.

_She does start to look a bit like me when she’s angry_.

“Was I unclear?” he asked when she did not move.

Aurora took a deep breath, the anger on her face receding by a fraction, her hands stiff at her sides, but unclenched. She was clearly making an effort to battle her anger.

_And doing a damn sight better than I tend to do._

“I’m sorry that I broke into your room,” she said, her voice low and even. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

“I accept your apology,” Severus said, tilting his head. “And I am glad to hear you won’t be trying it again. That does not negate your punishment.”

Her jaw clenched again, but she nodded once. “Of course not. But – “ she drew another breath, and then rushed her next words, making them run together. “ijustwantthingstobeniceagain.”

He frowned and cocked an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

Another deep breath. “I just want things to be nice again, between us,” she said, eyes flicking to the floor. “It just seems like every time we have one or two nice conversations it all goes wrong.”

She met his eyes for a moment, then looked away and shrugged, the resigned movement of her shoulders pulling at his heart. “I guess it’s just hopeless.”

“No.” His voice snapped her gaze back to his. “Not hopeless. Aurora – “ it was his turn to sigh. He scratched the back of his head and then continued. “We must both keep working at it, and it will get easier. I promise.”

Aurora nodded, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He cupped her head with his hand, smoothing her hair, the other hand resting on her back.

“To bed,” he said softly, though he made no effort to dislodge her. Affection was something he’d been so long without that it felt almost foreign.

Almost.

She nodded, pulling away and going into her room. Before she closed the door, she caught his eyes again, and then, hesitantly, “Goodnight, Father.”

“Goodnight.”

When she shut the door, he sank back into his seat and refilled his glass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seemed as if Aurora had just fallen asleep when her father came in to wake her for classes. She opened her eyes groggily, then grudgingly began to get ready.

They walked to the Great Hall together to have breakfast, and she tried to ignore the stares from the other students. She reminded herself that they hadn't had much time to adjust to the fact that their least favorite professor had a daughter. Her friends had already come down from the common room, and smiled their greetings as she sat beside them and helped herself to the eggs and bacon.

"Rough night?" questioned Erin quietly as she gazed at the dark circles under her friend's eyes.

"Had a nightmare," Aurora responded, shoveling the eggs into her mouth.

"What?" Kim dropped her fork, causing it to clatter loudly on her plate. The other Ravenclaws at the table cast the trio a disapproving stare before turning back to their own breakfasts. "Why didn't you take the sleeping draught?" she hissed. Aurora opened her mouth to tell them about her dream when Jamie arrived, taking a seat right next to her.

"Hey girls," she said timidly, pulling the platter of food towards her plate. The trio stared at her as she began to dish out her breakfast.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us," Kim replied coldly.

"I had some time over the holidays to think about it," she said, taking a bite of bacon, "And I decided that our friendship wasn't worth throwing away just because you don't get along with Draco."

"What made you change your mind?" Erin asked, eyeing her skeptically.

"Well," she began, looking around at them, "I mean, Professor Snape is your _dad_." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"So if he wasn't, you wouldn't bother, is that it?" she asked hotly.

"That's not what I meant," Jamie stammered. Aurora shook her head and stood from the table.

"C'mon guys, let's get to class." Kim and Erin stood as well, and the three of them strode out of the Hall, leaving Jamie staring morosely after them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared angrily at the back of Quirrell's turban during Defense Against the Dark Arts that morning, going over what Jamie had said at breakfast.

"We have _got_ to get that truth serum brewed," she muttered to Erin. Her friend nodded her assent as Aurora turned back to the professor, trying to decide if he could have been one of the voices in her dream. She closed her eyes as he stammered on about protection against vampire bats, and tried to concentrate. After about five minutes, it became clear to her that his stutter effectively masked the true tone of his voice, and she gave an exasperated sigh.

"What is it?" Kim asked, leaning forward across her desk.

"Nothing," Aurora replied quickly, seeing Jamie look up with interest. "I'll tell you later," she promised her friends.

"You know," Erin mused as the bell rang, "If we welcome Jamie back into the fold, it won't be too hard to slip something to her." Aurora glanced over her shoulder at the subject of their conversation, then sighed again.

"Let's wait and see what Father finds out tonight," she said resignedly. Erin nodded in agreement as the trio hung back from the rest of the class.

"So tell us about the nightmare," Kim urged as they began to make their way to Herbology.

"I heard the people who are behind all this stuff fighting," Aurora said quietly. Her friends stared at her in amazement.

"What were they saying?" Kim asked excitedly.

"Did you recognize the voices?" Erin asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Aurora shook her head and told them about the laugh.

"Is that why you didn't take the sleeping draught?" Kim asked.

"Yeah. We think the reason I'm getting these dreams is because the other person is sending them. We're hoping they'll do it again."

"Good idea," Erin said quietly.

“Yeah, but you lot are going to have to work without me for a while,” she said, relaying her punishment details.

“What? Just for looking through a cupboard?” Kim asked, aghast.

“For _breaking in_ to a cupboard. And his room,” Aurora reminded her. “So until he feels he can trust me again, I’m to go straight to his office if I have a free period or am done for the day.”

They were unable to carry on their conversation as they arrived at the greenhouse to find Jamie wating for them. She smiled broadly when she spotted them, and hurried over.

"Hey girls! What kept you so long?"

"I forgot a book on my desk," Aurora quickly lied.

"Oh! Well, c'mon, Professor Sprout is about to start the lesson! I saved you spots!" The trio exchanged bemused glances before following the beckoning girl into the class. They were saved further bursts of inexplicable cheerfulness as Professor Sprout began the lesson.

Their reprieve was not to last, however. As soon as the bell rang, Jamie was off and chatting again.

"Why didn't you ever tell me Snape was your dad?" she said reproachfully as the foursome walked towards the castle.

"I wasn't allowed to," Aurora said, biting her tongue to prevent herself from screaming at the other girl.

"But you could have said something before it was announced to everyone else," Jamie argued. Aurora, forgetting that she was supposed to keep the girl on her good side, spun around to face her.

" _You_ weren't talking to _us_ ," she spat. "Why would we tell you anything?" Shaking, she didn't wait for an answer, but turned and quickly walked away.

"Way to welcome her back," Erin muttered as she and Kim caught up with their incensed friend.

"I don't blame you," Kim offered, her voice tight. "She's acting like she's been our best friend all term."

"But if we don't alienate her just yet-" Erin began to argue.

"Erin, I couldn't keep it going a few hours. How am I going to convince her nothing is wrong for however long it takes us – you - to brew that serum?"

"Especially if she keeps acting like _that_ ," Kim pointed out.

"Look, can't you at least try, you two? What if it wasn't her, like Basil keeps insisting? If it wasn't, you've got no reason to dislike her."

"Except for the fact that she ditched us for Doofus," Kim muttered. Aurora looked at her friends, trying to decide who was right. Finally, she shook her head.

"Erin's right, Kim. If we don't at least try, it will be that much harder to get the serum to her. Not to mention the fact that if it wasn't her, we're going to feel incredibly guilty about accusing her."

"Speak for yourself," Kim muttered angrily. Aurora looked at her pleadingly. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll try. But I'm not promising _anything_." They took their seats in Transfiguration as Jamie hurried in, looking a little disappointed. _It's now or never_ , Aurora thought as she gritted her teeth and turned towards Jamie.

"I wanted to apologize, Jamie. It's just that, with everything that's been going on -" Jamie smiled.

"That's all right. I should have thought of that. Sorry." Aurora forced a smile back at her, letting it slip as soon as she turned to face Professor McGonagall.

By the end of class, Aurora's smile had completely faded. McGonagall had given them a rather lengthy assignment, which meant less time for the others to search for a place to brew their truth serum. As she stuffed her books into her bag, McGonagall walked towards them, continuing past Aurora and stopping next to Jamie, who was frowning.

"If you would please follow me, Miss Hobbs," she said curtly, turning and walking through the door. Jamie looked at the other girls, worry written over her face.

"Meet you in the library, okay?" Jamie asked.

Aurora nodded, then grinned as Jamie hurried from the room.

"What's so funny?" Kim demanded.

"I'll bet you anything they're taking her to be questioned!" she said, her eyes straying towards the door. "Father told me they were going to today."

"Let's not just stand here," Kim prodded. "Let's go and have a listen."

Erin looked at her, eyes wide.

"Kimberly Travis! Are you suggesting that we _eavesdrop_ on them?"

Kim shrugged.

"Why not?"

“We really shouldn’t get on my father’s bad side right now,” Aurora said.

"Meaning we've got to avoid making him mad at all costs. Which means no eavesdropping," Erin added. Kim crossed her arms over her chest.

"So we're going to sit here while they're in there?"

"No," Aurora said, smiling. "We're going to go and search for a hiding spot. If Father’s busy questioning Jamie and Draco, he won’t notice that I’m a little late. Then you’ll go up and meet Jamie in the library like she asked you to. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus crossed his arms and leaned against his desk as he loomed over the children seated before him. Albus was seated behind the desk, and Minerva stood beside him, both waiting for Severus to begin. Flitwick was seated directly beside Jamie, making it clear to his colleagues that he was supporting his young house member.

"Do you two know why you have been brought here?" Severus asked. Jamie shook her head and stared at him, eyes wide, pupils dilated.

_She’s certainly guilty of something_ , he thought as his gaze strayed to Draco. The boy was fidgeting nervously, not at all his usual confident, arrogant self. Severus motioned for Dumbledore to proceed, then cast Legilimens silently.

A barrage of images reeled into his mind: Draco and Jamie, hand-in-hand, walking towards the forbidden forest; Draco and Jamie, their lips locked together in the Astronomy Tower; again in the forest, with Crabbe and Goyle standing a dozen feet away, evidently being look-outs.

_They think we're going to ask about their little rendezvous,_ he thought with amusement as he severed the link. Minerva shot him a questioning stare as the headmaster stood and cleared his throat.

"We would like to ask you a few questions about Miss Snape."

Draco's eyes narrowed, while Jamie's flew open wider.

"Do either of you know what transpired the morning of the twenty-third?" Albus asked.

Severus tentatively opened the link between himself and the children again as they each shook their heads.

"Miss Snape was poisoned."

Jamie let out a squeal of horror. Draco smirked briefly, letting it slip at Severus’s glare.

Severus probed their minds, trying unsuccessfully to gain any new information.

"Who did it?" Jamie asked, her hands trembling.

"We were hoping perhaps you two would be able to give us some information on who her enemies are," Albus said. Jamie looked at Draco in horror.

"You didn't -" her question died on her lips as Draco's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Of course I didn't!" he retorted sharply. "I wouldn't waste my time on that -" he stopped as he realized the father of the girl he was about to berate was standing in front of him.

"Go on, Draco," Severus urged silkily. "If you've something to say about Aurora, feel free."

"It's not a big secret that she and I aren't friends," he replied carefully, his eyes on Severus's. "But I don't know anything about this, Professor." Severus nodded with satisfaction when he saw that the boy was not lying.

"What about you, Miss Hobbs?" Severus turned his attention to the frightened girl.

"I don't know anything about it, Professor."

"Why are you asking us, anyway?" Draco demanded, his eyes now slits. "You aren't _accusing_ us, are you Professor?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco. If I were accusing you, your parents would be present."

A flicker of fear darted across the boy's face at the mention of his father, causing Severus to smirk.

“At the New Year,” Severus said, “you mentioned to Aurora that you would ‘just have to be cleverer when you found out I was her father. Care to explain?”

Draco paled and swallowed. Severus saw a myriad of images: mostly harmless pranks that the boy had been planning to play on Aurora.

“Just – I thought it would be funny to put frogspawn in her soup or something,” he stammered. “I didn’t know anybody was trying to hurt her, sir. I wouldn’t have said it –“

“All right,” Severus said, waving his hand to quiet him. He felt almost relieved; expelling Draco would have caused serious rifts between himself and Lucius.

"Now then, Miss Hobbs. Perhaps you could tell us if you saw anything unusual while you were in the vicinity of the dorm room on that morning?"

Jamie furrowed her brow in concentration, giving Severus the perfect opportunity to again delve into her thoughts. He saw her walking up the stairs to her dormitory, pausing to talk to a second year. Glancing at her watch, she ended the conversation with the other girl and proceeded to her dorm room, where she packed her trunk. She glanced at her watch again, and slammed the lid down, racing towards the stairs. She passed by three girls in the doorway: Aurora, Kim, and Erin, then hurried down the hall.

He severed the connection, studying the girl's face as she finally spoke.

"Nothing unusual," she said, frowning. "I just went and got my trunk. That was it." Severus nodded. She hadn't gone anywhere near Aurora's things, and yet - he had the feeling that he was missing something very important.

"Severus?"

He snapped his head up to look at Minerva.

"Yes?"

"Are you in agreement with us?"

He frowned.

"Agreement on what, Professor?"

Minerva looked slightly annoyed with him.

"That the children may go now, Professor Snape," Flitwick said. "Clearly neither of them knows anything of the event."

Severus nodded curtly as he swept around to his desk.

"Yes, they may go," he said sharply, his mind still going over Jamie's memory. He heard the door shut behind him as he caught the headmaster's light blue gaze.

"Well, Severus?"

"Headmaster, you saw exactly what I did," he commented dryly. "Neither of them had any memories regarding Aurora's poisoning."

"But?" Albus prodded.

"There is something I can't quite put my finger on," he muttered. Albus stood and smiled.

"Maybe you are seeing things which don't exist," Flitwick squeaked. "You just said yourself that Miss Hobbs and Mr. Malfoy were both innocent. Do you really need more evidence than your own skills have afforded you?" Severus narrowed his eyes as he towered over the tiny man.

"I am not doubting the information that I have obtained, Filius. My only concern is that some minute, yet crucial detail is hidden away inside of that information. I will need to study it at length to determine what it was." His words sparked an idea in his mind, and he spun around to once again face the headmaster.

"Albus, your pensieve -"

"Loaned to Aberforth, I’m afraid. I’ll speak with him tonight and see if I can’t convince him to return it.”

Severus grunted in frustration, but resigned himself to continue to replay Jamie's memory in his mind as often as he could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is a great place!" Erin said as they stepped behind a wall hanging into a secret passageway they had just discovered.

"But how do we know-" Aurora's argument was cut short by the arrival of Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older twin brothers.

"Hullo," they chorused.

"And what are you three doing in here?" Fred asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"We were - uh, we were -" Kim stammered.

"We were just exploring a bit," Aurora said quickly.

"Brilliant!" Exclaimed George. "We wouldn't perhaps be planning on breaking any school rules, now would we?" The glint of mischief in the twins' eyes gave Aurora an idea.

"Actually, we are. But we can't tell you what. We're looking for a place nobody else ever goes. Do you know of any?" The twins exchanged meaningful looks before crossing their arms across their chests.

"What's in it for us?" George asked.

"Well -"

"Oh, come on you two! Since when do you need an excuse to break the rules?" Erin asked.

"Well, I suppose we-"

"Could be persuaded-"

"If you let us in-"

"On exactly -"

"What you're doing."

Aurora rolled her eyes. Though this was the first time she'd actually met the twins, she'd heard Ron's descriptions of their banter.

"Well, we'd rather not say," Erin answered before Aurora had the chance to. The twins' smiles grew.

"Excellent!" Fred exclaimed.

"We love secrets!" George added.

"So you'll help us, then?" Aurora asked hopefully.

"We'll think about it," Fred declared.

"Meet us back here-"

"On Saturday-"

"Shall we say ten-ish?" The twins bowed dramatically and quickly exited.

The girls stared after them, shaking their heads. “They are a bit like whirlwinds, aren’t they?” Kim asked.

"If they’ll help us, I don’t care if they wind the entire school up,” Aurora said. She looked at her watch and sucked in a breath. “I need to get down to Father’s office. _Now_.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your classes ended thirty minutes ago,” Severus said, lips thinned, when Aurora and her friends arrived in his classroom.

“Restroom,” Aurora said.

Doubtful. All three of the girls were short of breath. He narrowed his eyes, then thrust his chin towards the corridor. “Get on with your day, Miss Cafferty, Miss Travis.”

The girls said goodbye to Aurora and hurried away.

“It is unwise to test my patience this early into your punishment,” he said dryly. “In future, you will be at that door within ten minutes of your dismissal bell. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” She sighed, putting her books onto the desk. “So?” She crossed her arms, eyebrow arched.

He started a fire under a cauldron next to his desk before addressing to her. “I get the impression you’re expecting something from me,” he said. “Communicating _what_ it is you expect would move things along.”

She grunted impatiently. “You talked to Draco and Jamie, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” He straightened his frame as much as possible and peered down at her. “And learned only that they have no knowledge of who is behind your poisoning. _Either_ of them.”

“That can’t be right,” Aurora exclaimed, her shoulders sagging, her mouth hanging open. “Maybe they lied –“

“They did not.”

“You can’t know that for sure!”

“Actually, I can.”

“So now what?” she asked, sinking into the desk chair.

“Now you do your homework while I prepare for my last class. And when they arrive, you will sit – quietly – at the back of the room as I teach it.”

“I meant –“

“I know what you meant,” he said, putting emphasis on the final word. “And I’ve also told you to let me deal with it. This is not the end of our inquiry. We’ll find them.”

She looked as convinced as he felt. He didn’t want to give her false hope, to tell her that there was still something about Miss Hobbs that wasn’t sitting well with him when he didn’t yet know what that could mean.

“My next class is sixth-year NEWT students,” he offered instead. “You won’t be at a cauldron, but there is nothing to stop you from taking in the lecture if you like.”

She perked up at this. “Do you have a textbook I could follow along with?”

He hesitated, his mind going to the battered copy from his own school days, locked in the spare cupboard at the back of the room. No, it was better not to have that in the hands of a student. _Any_ student. He really ought to just get rid of it.

“No.”

She didn’t seem very bothered by it, just nodded to herself and opened her books.

“I’ll get some of this done, then, so I can focus.”

He smirked and turned back to his desk. At least she wasn’t focused on her poisoning any longer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At dinner, Aurora was able to tolerate Jamie’s being there and even managed to chat with her a bit. The Ravenclaws stood up to wait for her father in the hall, and Basil and the trio of Gryffindors followed them out.

"So now you two are friends again?" Harry asked, frowning and looking over his shoulder at Jamie.

"Only on the surface," Aurora assured him, being sure to keep her voice quiet. "We thought it would make it easier to get the truth serum to her." Basil gave her a disapproving stare, making her feel guilty. "Don't look at me like that," she admonished.

Basil shook his head.

"I can't believe you're doing this," he said quietly. "She used to be one of your best friends."

"Yeah, well, she's the one who chose Malfoy over me, remember?" Aurora pointed out.

"I'm not saying you should be her best friend again. I just don't think it's right to pretend to be, just to get her to cooperate. It's just like what you wanted to do with Deidre. I don't like deceiving her like that."

" _She's_ been lying to _us_ all term!" Harry exploded.

"We don't know if she's lying," Basil said calmly.

"Why are you always sticking up for her?" Harry asked.

"Maybe because she's done nothing wrong.”

"You don't know that," Ron scoffed. "Unless you know who _did_ poison her." Basil's face went red with indignation, and Aurora stepped in before he said something he'd regret.

"Guys, really! No, we _don't_ know if it was Jamie. Yes, all the evidence _does_ point to her. Fighting over who's right about her isn't getting us anywhere. We won't know for sure until whoever did it confesses, or we get Jamie to take the truth serum." The group remained quiet, the girls looking at the boys anxiously.

"I didn't mean to start an argument," Basil said. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Aurora's already been hurt," Erin pointed out softly. Basil's face set into an expression of determination. He glanced over at Jamie, then back at Aurora.

"Just be careful," he advised. Aurora nodded.

"Speaking of Deidre," Hermione broke in, looking at her watch, "I joined S.P.A.M. last night, and there's a meeting in ten minutes. If you will all excuse me, I've got to go." She left, beaming at the accolades the rest of the group gave her for her speedy work. After she had gone, Aurora leaned forward, her voice hushed.

"Fred and George know where we can hide our serum," Aurora stated excitedly. Ron's eyes flew open at the mention of his brothers.

"You haven't told them what we're up to, have you?" he asked quickly.

"Of course not," Kim retorted.

"We'll probably have to tell them," Aurora said. "They're meeting us Saturday to tell us whether or not they'll help."

"Knowing them, we'll have to do _something_ for them eventually," Ron groaned.

"As long as they get us a place to brew that potion, who cares?" Harry asked.

"I'll remember you said that," Ron said gloomily, "when they ask us to pull some crazy stunt with them. You'll be the first to volunteer, then?"

"Why not?" Harry retorted. "Whatever they ask couldn't be _that_ bad."


	41. Discoveries

"So what do you think they'll decide?" Kim asked as she sat with Aurora and Erin in the passageway that Saturday morning.

Severus had granted Aurora the period between breakfast and lunch with her friends mainly, as he put it, 'to have a respite from her incessant pestering' about what else he was planning in regards to finding her poisoner.

But it was now after eleven, and the girls were beginning to worry that they'd found themselves on the end of one of the twins' tamer practical jokes.

"I don't know." Aurora exhaled through her nose and looked at her watch again. "I'm about to say forget this and find a spot on our own. There's not much time left before lunch." She stood and brushed the dust from her robes just as the wall hanging brushed aside to reveal the twins. Erin and Kim stood as Aurora crossed her arms and glared at the boys. "You _said_ ten o'clock."

"Actually, we said ten- _ish_ ," Fred corrected. Aurora rolled her eyes.

"So?" Erin asked.

"So what?" George gave her a blank stare.

"Are you going to help us or not?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," they replied in unison. The girls squealed.

"On one condition," Fred amended. Aurora's spirits sank.

 _Here it comes then,_ she thought, bracing herself.

"We need you to do us a bit of a favor." A sly smile crept up one side of George's face.

"What kind of a favor?" Aurora asked, wary.

"We want to play a bit of a prank on Snape. And we'll need you to tell us what wards he has on his office." Fred's eyes glittered as he grinned.

Aurora's jaw dropped open. "No way."

"What were you planning on doing?" Kim asked, ignoring the glare Aurora shot her.

"Oh, nothing much, just bewitching the chair to move whenever he tries to sit in it-"

"Charming his quills to write insults whenever he uses them -"

"Harmless, really," Fred finished.

"We can't get on his bad side right now," Aurora said. "We've got to keep a low profile for a while, until what we're working on is through."

"Well, we'll just wait until after your project, then," Fred offered. "That'll give us time to think up more to do, anyway."

Aurora bit down on her lip and looked over at her friends. "Let us talk for a minute." She shooed the boys out of the passage. "We'll let you know what we decide." As soon as they'd gone, she turned towards her friends. "Well?"

"Do we have much of a choice?" Kim asked, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Besides, it will be fun to play a prank on Snape."

"Easy for you to be all for it when you don't have to do anything," Erin said. "Aurora, if you aren't comfortable with it, then don't do it."

Aurora chewed on her lip some more, then stuck her head out of the passage and beckoned the boys back in. She didn't speak for a moment, and the twins began to shift restlessly on their feet. After taking a deep breath, she spoke. "I can't do it."

They looked shocked. "But -"

"Let me tell you why," she interrupted. The boys closed their mouths and waited. "He'll know it was me, and I've already lost most of my free time as it is."

"Of course, if you'd rather find your own spot," Fred said.

"Mind you, we know _all_ the secrets in Hogwarts -"

"And we'll most likely stumble across it -"

"But if you're sure -" They turned to leave.

"What if we told you what we need it for?" Aurora's low voice stopped the twins in their tracks. They turned around, mischievous grins on their faces.

"Excellent!"

"Carry on," Fred urged.

"We need it to brew a potion. A truth serum," Aurora said.

"Who're you interrogating, then?" George asked.

"The person we think may have poisoned me at the start of the holidays." Aurora's voice was steady even as her heart raced, and she kept her eyes glued on the boys' faces. Their grins faded.

"Is that what happened?" Fred asked. "We asked Ron, but he wouldn't say."

"Yes, that's what happened. And I want to find out who did it. _That_ is why we need a secret spot for it. One nobody else knows about or might stumble on."

"There's a passageway that used to lead out of the castle," Fred said. "It's been blocked for ages, so nobody ever uses it anymore."

"It's the perfect spot," George agreed.

"Where is it?" Aurora couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.

"Across from Professor Binns' classroom. Counting from the portrait of Agrippa, tap the third stone from the right, fourth row from the bottom with your wand and say _detego_ ," Fred said.

"Thanks, boys," Erin said. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem," Fred said.

"And we'll keep that prank offer open if you change your mind," George added.

Aurora was grinning as they left. "Fantastic. We'll go and check it out –" her stomach growled, echoing off the passageway walls. Kim giggled, and Aurora shrugged. "-or maybe we eat first. If we go now, maybe we can run up there before I have to go to Father's office."

There was a group of students in the middle of the Entrance Hall when they arrived, sitting in a circle around a sign.

_The_ _ S _ _ociety for_ _ P _ _olitical_ _ A _ _cceptance of_ _ M _ _agi_

_Or S.P.A.M._

_United in our goal to eradicate the sexism present at Hogwarts. Help us in showing the administration how serious we are by joining our hunger strike!_

Deidre was directly below the sign, Doris Grindy and a few other members Aurora recognized scattered throughout. Sitting right next to Deidre, her face shining with importance, was Hermione. She waved as she saw the Ravenclaws.

"Hi, Hermione." Aurora cast a sidelong glance at Deidre. "Hullo, Deidre. How's the campaigning going?"

To her surprise, Deidre smiled up at her. "It isn't going as quickly as I'd hoped, but we'll get there yet. I've got three more years after this one. I'll see it done before I graduate."

"I'm glad you're still so positive," Erin said.

"Well, with Hermione as a member, things are definitely looking up," Deidre said. "She's a real go-getter, not afraid to get her hands dirty for the cause." Hermione blushed deeply and looked at her shoes. "Care to join us, girls?" The friends exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

"Sorry, Deidre. I wouldn't last five minutes on a hunger strike," Kim said.

"Yeah, I'm already getting hungry, and it's only been ten minutes. But if it'll help S.P.A.M., I'll stay a month."

"Good luck," Aurora said before turning and walking with her friends into the Great Hall.

"It looks like Hermione's right at home, doesn't it?" Kim asked, grinning.

"She works fast," Aurora agreed. "And now that we've got a spot to brew the serum, we just have to wait until the next Hogsmeade weekend to get the ingredients." The trio grinned at each other as they took their places at their table, confident that they'd have the truth serum by the beginning of February.

* * *

Severus sat in his office, his mind running over Jamie's memory again. _There's something I'm missing,_ he thought fervently as he ran a hand through his unkempt hair. But the more he focused on it, the more aggravated he became. He could see nothing significant in the girl's recollection, but it still bothered him. His concentration was shifted as a knock came at his door.

"Enter." McGonagall swept in, taking the chair in front of his desk without waiting for an invitation. "Is there something I can help you with, Minerva?" he asked shortly.

"Actually, there is. I wondered if perhaps talking about what you saw in Miss Hobbs' memory might not make things clearer."

"She went to her dormitory and packed her trunk," Severus said with a heavy sigh. "She didn't go near Aurora's things."

"Is that it?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes, yes," he said irritably. "Well, she glanced at her watch a couple -" He stopped, mouth open. How had he been so _dense_?

"What is it, Severus? Are you ill?"

"The _watch_ , woman, the watch!" He jumped from his seat and paced the floor as he struggled to recall the times shown in Jamie's memory. "I've got to speak with her again, replay the memory, and focus on that damned timepiece." He rushed out the door, not caring that he had left the deputy headmistress in a state of confusion. His mind was focused on one thing: finding Miss Hobbs. He nearly collided with the entire congregation of protesters in the Entrance Hall, and it was a sign of his preoccupation that he didn't take any points or give detentions to the group as he hurried past.

His arrival at the Ravenclaw table caused a surprised hush to fall over his daughter and her friends, but his attention was focused on Jamie. "Miss Hobbs. Follow me." He spun on his heel and marched back to his office, not the least bit surprised that both Dumbledore and McGonagall were already waiting for his return. As he reached his desk he turned and saw that Jamie hadn't thought twice about following him.

"Have I done something, Professor Snape?" she asked worriedly.

"I need you to go through your memory of the day Aurora was poisoned," Severus said.

"But why? I don't know anything about it."

"Maybe not consciously. Now begin when you woke."

"I got up earlier than everybody else."

Severus tuned out her voice and cast Legilimens.

_She woke earlier than her dormmates and cast a disgusted look at her trunk. There was still so much packing to be done! She glanced at her watch. There were nearly three hours before the Hogwarts Express was due to arrive. She dressed quickly, decided there was plenty of time later to pack, and hurried out of the tower and into the hall._

_As she quietly wound her way around the corridors, she wondered if he would be awake yet. She climbed down the stairs towards the Slytherin common room, but stopped when she reached Severus's classroom. Glancing around to make certain nobody was watching, she made her way over to a statue of Paracelsus, and tapped her wand on his arm. The statue swung aside to reveal a narrow opening, which she crept through soundlessly._

_The statue moved back into its place as she stepped inside, leaving her in complete darkness. Something brushed up against her, and she yelped with fear. Her outburst was rewarded with a soft tinkling of laughter from directly beside her. "Lumos," she whispered, her frown deepening when the light revealed the perpetrator. "Draco," she admonished, "that was_ not _funny." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say that her opinion was not important._

_"I want to show you something," he said gleefully, pulling her towards the corner of the enclosure._

_"Draco, I swear if you show me one more dark object that your father's sent you -" her words were cut short as the light illuminated the corner, and her breath caught in her throat. "Where did you get it?" she whispered. His face shone with importance as he squatted next to the creature, a tiny golden bird with red eyes._

_"Found it trotting around just inside the forest."_

_"Why isn't it flying?" she asked with concern._

_"I cast a spell on him."_

_"Oh, Draco, you've got to put him back!" she pleaded as the tiny bird's eyes burned sorrowfully into her own. The boy grunted with annoyance._

_"I thought you'd like him."_

_"But he's a snidget, Draco. You can't just take him!" She stood and put her hands on her hips. "Take him back where you found him, or I'll -"_

_"What?" he asked with amusement. "Tell my father? Or Snape?"_

_"No. I'll tell Dumbledore."_

_"What's the matter with you?" he grumbled as he stashed the bird into his pocket. "I got him for_ you _!"_

_"I appreciate the gesture, but there are laws against keeping those!"_

_"Fine," he muttered as he stomped towards the door. "Next time I won't bother. Have a nice holiday." Without waiting for her to respond, he opened the entrance and skulked out. After a moment of feeling sorry for herself, she followed. When she stepped into the corridor, he was nowhere to be seen. She glanced at her watch: 8:45. She only had another hour before the carriages were due to leave._

_"I'll owl him over break and apologize," she muttered as she climbed the stairs. She barely registered the throngs of people milling around where barely an hour earlier there had been none. As she walked into the common room, she saw Aurora, Erin, and Kim standing near the entrance, chatting away. She ignored them and proceeded to the stairs._

_"Hey, Jamie!" she turned around to see Cho Chang waving to her._

_"Oh, hullo."_

_"Aren't you excited to be going home for the break?" she asked._

_"I guess so," she replied tonelessly._

_"You sure don't seem like it," Cho chided. "You seem upset about something."_

_"Draco and I had a bit of a fight."_

_"Today?"_

_"Just a bit ago."_

_"That's too bad," Cho said sarcastically. "I can't imagine what you'd have to disagree about." Jamie looked at her watch: 9:00._

_"I've got to go pack, Cho." She climbed the remainder of the stairs, then turned into her dormitory, where she went immediately to her trunk and began to pack. As she threw the last of her books inside, she looked at her watch again: 9:40. She had only five minutes to get to the Entrance Hall. Slamming the lid, she quickly levitated it and hurried past the few remaining people in the common room._

Severus severed the connection, becoming acutely aware of the questioning stares from his colleagues.

"Miss Hobbs," he said, looming over her, "how long does it normally take you to pack your trunk?"

"If I take my time, probably about twenty minutes, Professor."

"What if you were in a hurry?"

"I've been known to do it in as quickly as five," she replied with a grin.

"Thank you, Miss Hobbs, you may go," Dumbledore said from behind them, standing from his seat. Severus glared at him as the student hastily left the room.

"Why did you let her go?" he asked in annoyance.

"She does not realize that her memory has been tampered with, Severus," he said evenly.

"So you'd rather she never found out, is that it?"

"Severus," Dumbledore began with a sigh, "I do not want her to fear for her own safety. Someone in that tower modified her memory for a reason."

"If we had kept her here, Albus, we would have been able to probe deeper -"

"No." The harshness in the headmaster's voice startled Severus, and he stared at him in confused silence. "I will not allow a student to be subjected to the kind of emotional and psychological damage that occurs with a mind probe."

"Of course not, Headmaster," he spat bitterly.

"Severus, aren't there other ways to break the charm?" McGonagall aske. "Isn't there some sort of potion you could concoct to help her regain her memory?" Severus sank into the chair in front of his desk.

"Of course there is, Minerva. I'll have to experiment a bit, of course - the one I am familiar with was used with no thought to the after-effects." His voice was bitter as he spoke, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the trio.

"I'm sure you'll manage, Severus," Dumbledore said reassuringly. "After all, you weren't hired for your looks."

Severus snorted with amusement.

"And to think, for all these years, I fancied myself an Adonis."

"At any rate, we'll leave you to start on that potion." Dumbledore and McGonagall headed out of the office.

"If I could just talk to her for five minutes," Severus called after him.

"No, Severus."

Severus waited until they had left, then unlocked his cupboard and took down an ancient-looking book.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered as he began to leaf through it.

* * *

Aurora led her group of friends to the corridor which contained Professor Binns' classroom after they'd finished lunch, unwilling to wait until the following morning to check it out. Her heart was pounding with excitement.

"Why are we going to Binns' class?" Ron asked grumpily. "It's the weekend. I don't want to go near any classes."

"You'll see," Aurora replied mysteriously, grinning at Erin and Kim. She spotted the portrait of Agrippa which the boys had mentioned, then counted the correct number of bricks, tapped her wand, and whispered, " _Detego_." The group jumped back slightly as the bricks began to move of their own accord, revealing a doorway. Aurora stepped through immediately, then motioned for the others to join her as she examined the passage. " _Lumos."_ The ceiling was quite low, causing even Aurora to have to crouch to get through. It was too narrow to allow them to travel in anything but a single file line, and she heard the grunts of her friends behind her as she proceeded into the darkness.

" _This_ is the perfect spot?" Kim scoffed. "There's not even room to turn around."

"Maybe it will get wider," Aurora said. "We'll just have to keep following it." As if her words had caused it to happen, they emerged into a large cavern. On one wall was a tremendous pile of rocks, the tell-tale sign of an earlier cave-in. "This _is_ perfect," she said happily, turning around once she'd reached the center. Her friends stood around the exit of the passage, looks of astonishment on their faces. "Well, what do you all think?"

"This is brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.

"I take it Fred and George decided to help, then?" Basil asked, ginning. Aurora nodded.

"What do you have to do for them?" Ron asked guardedly.

"Nothing," Aurora said. "I just told them what we were up to."

"What'd you do that for? Now they'll go and tell Mum, and -"

"Ronnie, do you _really_ think they'll tell anyone? Don't you trust your own brothers?"

"Well, I suppose -"

"If it had been Percy, I'd be worried," Harry said with a grin.

"I wouldn't have told them if I could have gotten away with it," Aurora said. "They wanted me to tell them what charms Father had on his office. I wasn't about to do _that_."

"I don't blame you," Basil agreed. "We've got to keep under his radar for a bit."

"Exactly. Anyway, this is where we're going to brew the serum." She looked around the enclosure. "We'll need a cauldron, of course."

"We can use mine," Erin offered. "Mum won't get suspicious if I ask for another, seeing as I blow them up on a regular basis."

"Perfect! And Hermione's doing great with Deidre. Anyone know when the next Hogsmeade weekend is?" They all shook their heads. "Well, everyone keep your eyes open. It can't be too far off." She looked around the enclosure again, feeling as though everything was going to work out at last.


	42. Failures

The new term brought with it so much homework that by the end of the January, Severus had grudgingly given Aurora her free periods with her friends, so long as they spent them in the library.

With the increased workload and constant supervision, it was mid-February before Aurora realized that both the mysterious envelopes and her dreams had stopped completely.

"Maybe they've decided to stop bothering you," Kim said as the group toiled over their latest History of Magic essay.

"That's not very likely," Basil said. "I don't think this guy would just give up."

"Me neither," Aurora said. "Whoever it is was very angry in that dream."

"I bet the accomplice has something to do with it stopping," Harry said.

"I wouldn't count on it," Erin said. "From what Aurora's told us, the guy who planned all this is pretty ruthless."

"He's probably sitting around thinking up a new way to get to her," Ron offered.

"Don't say that, Ronnie!" Erin cried. Her face reddened as Madam Pince shushed them.

"Why not?" Aurora kept her voice low. "It's what we're all thinking, isn't it?"

"No," Basil said. "There are too many people who know what's going on now. You're too well protected. He won't be able to get to you."

"Just make sure you're careful," Erin said.

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Aurora asked.

There was an awkward silence before Ron spoke. "So - how 'bout those Chuddley Cannons, eh?" They all looked at him before the room erupted in laughter.

Madame Pince scowled at them and came over. “If you can’t keep quiet, you can get out. There are others here trying to study.”

“Sorry, Madam Pince,” Aurora said. “We’ll be quiet.” She certainly didn’t want to get kicked out—she’d have to sit quietly in the back of the dungeons while her father graded papers.

Hermione came rushing in, dropping her bag on the table. "The next Hogsmeade weekend is a week from Saturday!"

Aurora was so relieved that she jumped to her feet and embraced the other girl, but pulled her down to a seat at Madam Pince’s glare. "Hermione, that's great! Have you asked her about the ingredients yet?"

"Of course." Hermione grinned. "We've just got to give her the money for what we want, but she said she'd be happy to help out!"

"I'll write Uncle Steven," Aurora said. "I'm sure he'd give it to me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus growled with frustrated rage as the potion before him turned a dark shade of brown. He poured a sample into a phial, then set it on his desk to join the countless other failures he'd concocted over the past month. With a jerky wave of his wand, he emptied the cauldron and sank into his chair.

It was no secret when he started the project that it would take some time, but there’d been no progress at all in the past week, and it was beginning to try his patience. After staring angrily at the empty cauldron for a few moments, he picked up his quill and made a new entry into the log he'd been keeping:

_22 nd February - The replacement of billywig stings with armadillo bile caused the substance to congeal and take on the properties of an over-brewed Polyjuice Potion_

_Solution:_

His quill paused on the parchment as he thought of a way to make this potion work. He'd had problems from the start, but they'd been easily solved. Now every new solution brought only more complex problems, until the potion he now worked on bore very little resemblance to the one he'd started out with. He labeled the most recent phial with the date, then turned again to the parchment.

**Solution:**

The word leapt out of the page as he stared at it. Again drawing a complete and aggravating blank, he crossed the room to his cupboard and retrieved a small, thin book. As he leafed through it, the thought that he was no closer to breaking through Jamie's memory charm sprang to his mind, allayed only slightly by the knowledge that Aurora's tormentor had all but vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We can start the potion this weekend," Aurora announced that night at dinner. "That way, by the time we get the other supplies, it'll be ready to add them."

"How long will it take after that?" Kim asked.

"About three hours."

"We still need to figure out how we're getting it to her," Erin whispered.

"Why don't we just show her the passage?" Kim asked. "Then we could have tea and sandwiches or something while we study."

"And we could slip it into her tea!" Aurora said. "That's brilliant, Kim!"

"So we'll do it next Sunday?" Kim asked, excitement shining in her eyes. Aurora nodded her agreement.

"Sunday it is." She turned back to her food, her gaze flicking to the head table, and her father's vacant chair. "I haven't seen him at meals all week," she muttered to Erin. "I'm going to go take some food down to him." Finishing her own dinner, she made a plate for her him, then strode out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons. A light shone from beneath his office door, and she could hear him moving around when she knocked on the door.

"Enter." She pushed the door open, surprised by the sight that greeted her. Severus's office was in the most disarray she'd ever seen it in. Empty ingredient bottles lay strewn about the floor, and nearly sixty phials filled with various substances covered his desk. Her father was bent over his cauldron, and he looked up as she entered, his eyes reflecting his surprise in seeing her there.

"Is there something you needed, Aurora?" he asked, his voice sounding uncharacteristically weary.

"Yes." She cleared a spot for his plate on the desk. "I brought you dinner." She walked over to stand next to him. "You haven't been at meals all day, and I wanted to make sure you ate." Aurora peered into the cauldron with interest. "What are you working on?" As though her remarks had angered him, he suddenly spun around to face her.

"Why are you here by yourself?" he demanded, his hand reaching out to grab her arm.

Aurora was taken aback by the ferocity of his voice, and it took a moment for her to answer. "I—I was just coming down to talk to you," she stammered. Her own anger suddenly rose, and she wrenched her arm from his grip. "And _don't_ tell me that I should have waited until you came back to the quarters tonight, because you haven't been back before I'm asleep in ages." His eyes snapped angrily as he returned her glare.

"That does not give you just cause to traipse around this castle alone," he said. He turned back to the cauldron. "I am far too preoccupied to be able to escort you back to your friends at present."

"Sorry to have inconvenienced you," she muttered as anger over his reaction replaced her earlier concern. She turned to leave, stopping when he called after her. He gestured to the seat in front of his desk.

"It has been some time since we've talked," he admitted. She sat grudgingly, still agitated at what she felt to be his unjustified outburst. Severus turned back to his cauldron. "I've just one additional ingredient to - Damn!" Whatever he had added was sending plumes of smoke through the room, and Aurora had to cover her mouth with her hand to get clean air. She watched as he cleared the room with a wave of his wand, then took his seat across from her.

"What was all that?" she asked with interest as he began to scribble furiously on a piece of parchment.

"A failed experiment."

"Really?" Her curiosity now piqued, she craned her neck to read the paper. Severus stopped writing and met her eyes.

"Yes, really. I have been working on this for the past month, with very little progress."

"What is it?"

"A variation on a potion I once used - quite frequently - before I came to teach at Hogwarts." He went back to writing on the parchment.

"But what does it do?" she asked.

He laid aside his quill and reached for the plate of food she'd set down earlier. "At present? It fills the room with smoke."

"You're impossible!"

"I don't see how that is relevant," Severus said. He continued to eat. "I've answered every question you've asked."

"Fine," she said. "What is it _supposed_ to do?"

"Ah." He set his fork aside and folded his hands on his desk as he met her gaze. His reaction made her uneasy, but her curiosity won over, and she leaned forward eagerly. "The potion I have been attempting to alter is a special type of memory restorative."

"But why -" she stopped as she suddenly realized what his words were inferring. "So it _was_ Jamie?" she asked breathlessly.

"I don't recall mentioning anything about Miss Hobbs," he replied evenly, returning to his food.

"Someone's messed with her memory, haven't they?" Aurora asked.

"Yes."

She waited for a further explanation, but none came. "Well? Who was it?"

"That would be why we need the potion. Breaking through a memory charm is a very delicate procedure. We have yet to inform the girl that one even exists."

"Wouldn't a truth serum help?" Aurora realized her mistake too late as Severus’ fork stopped halfway to his mouth, and his eyes snapped to hers.

"I truly hope that you are not insinuating that you have one to offer," he said coldly. "Particularly in light of the fact that you were expressly forbidden to create one."

"Not really," she muttered. "You said _you_ wouldn't help us. You never said _we_ couldn't do it alone."

His fork clattered to his plate and he jumped from his chair, leaning over his desk so that his face was inches from hers. "Neither you nor your friends are to create _any_ potion in _any_ form without my supervision. Is that clear?"

“But—”

He returned to his seat, though his eyes remained fixed on his daughter. "What Miss Hobbs would tell you while under the influence of that serum is unimportant. She has absolutely no memory of poisoning you."

“But—”

"What is more," he continued, "have you stopped to consider that she is going to know you questioned her when you're through? Unless, of course, you were planning on casting another memory charm on the girl. What would you have done when she couldn't tell you who poisoned you? I doubt very much that she would forgive you so easily for mistrusting her. The whole escapade is pointless."

"Then let me help with this," Aurora said. "I can't help in any other way. Let me at least try."

Severus studied her face for a moment, then handed his notes to her. "Perhaps a fresh pair of eyes is what this potion needs.”

"What about jobberknoll feathers?" she asked.

"Tried those—February the fourth, I believe."

"You only tried it with the billywig stings. If you—”

His eyes lit up. "Replaced the billywig stings with the jobberknoll feathers—”

"And then add the armadillo bile where you added the jobberknoll feathers before—"

Severus jumped from his seat and went to his cupboard as Aurora lit the fire underneath the cauldron. He appeared by her side with the ingredients they needed, and the two of them began to add them as required. Within the hour, their potion had crusted over, and they emptied it, now disheartened.

"Ok, so that obviously didn't work," she said as he documented their failure. "Any other ideas?'

He smirked, his eyes not leaving the parchment. "Quite a few, actually. By observing every reaction made by each ingredient, I believe we're closer to finding the right combination."

Aurora frowned. "I didn't notice anything helpful," she finally said.

"That is because you were too focused on the single effect you wished to create," Severus said. "You must learn to examine each reaction while still keeping your goal in mind."

"Does that mean we're going to try again?"

"Have you ever known me to give up on a challenge?"

"You're too stubborn to give up," she said. "And so am I." She grinned at him, eager to start on the next batch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So we’re just abandoning our truth serum plan?” Kim asked at breakfast the next morning. Aurora had just told her and Erin about the memory restorative experiments.

“Father says it wouldn’t do any good,” Aurora said. “But I don’t think we should abandon it altogether. We might need to use it on somebody else.” She looked up at her father, who was fulfilling a promise to show up at meals. His plate was nearly empty, and she turned back to her friends, seeing Jamie come into the Hall from the corner of her eye. “I’m going to help with the restorative.” She slipped the paper with the truth serum instructions to Erin. “You lot should still go ahead and brew it, just in case.”

Her father stood at the head table, and Aurora wolfed down the rest of her breakfast before standing. “Hopefully we’ll have the restorative done in a few days and we’ll know who to use the truth serum on after that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But it wasn’t a few days.

The Friday before the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch match found Severus and Aurora in his office, covered in oozing green slime.

Severus had his eyes closed, trying to keep from shouting at her. “Armadillo bile should not have been added—”

“Until after the bezoar. I know. I’m sorry.”

“You are not usually so careless,” he said, casting a quick cleansing spell.

“I just don’t feel like we’ve gotten anywhere, and I’m really frustrated.” She documented their failure just as he’d shown her, and he nodded in approval.

“I will continue with the experiments.” Severus rolled his shoulders as a trail of slime traveled under his collar. “But you should step away for a bit.”

“What? No! I want to help. I’m just tired tonight. Tomorrow –“

“Is Quidditch,” he said with a heavy sigh. “You should go and enjoy yourself.”

“Who cares about Quidditch?” Aurora threw up her hands. “This is way more important.”

“I agree. Be that as it may, I am refereeing the match. And you will not experiment while I am not able to supervise.”

Aurora frowned. “You hate flying. And Quidditch. Why are you refereeing?”

_Because you’re not the only student I have to protect_. “Madam Hooch was unable to do so. As my house is not playing, I was asked to fill in.”

“Wait.” Aurora tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “If Gryffindor wins, they’ll be in the lead for the House Cup, won’t they?”

Severus cleared his throat and picked up their experiment log. “That’s correct.”

“And Slytherin’s in the lead now.”

“Your point?” he asked, shelving the book.

“Father, you’re not exactly known for being unbiased when it comes to your own house,” she said. “Why would they ask you to fill in when you’re clearly going to favor Hufflepuff?”

“Perhaps that’s something you should bring up with Professor Dumbledore,” he said. “Tomorrow we step away from the restorative. We will come back with clearer heads on Sunday.”

Aurora let out a frustrated grunt. “Fine.” She gestured to the logbook. “So we’re done?”

“For now. It’s late. How are you feeling?” He and Poppy had only just agreed that the need for the bezoar draught had probably passed, and last night was the first evening she hadn’t taken it since she’d been poisoned. “Any issues at all?”

“I’ve told you twenty times,” Aurora said. “I’m _fine_.”

He scanned her face, his eyes narrowing. “You said you were tired.” She’d been off the strengthening potions for the past week as well.

“ _Normal_ tired. Not ill tired,” she said.

Severus nodded brusquely. “Very well. Then we will go back to our rooms, and you will go straight to bed.”

She offered no argument.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_This is a bloody nightmare_ , Severus thought as he hovered above the pitch, one hand clutching his broomstick.

He hadn’t flown on a broomstick in years, had never taken to it.

_Damn Quirrell,_ he thought, dodging a bludger. _And damn Dumbledore while I’m at it_. The headmaster, despite his insistence that Severus be on the pitch in case of another issue with Harry, had decided to watch the game as well. _As though anybody would try anything with him sat in the stands_.

A bug flew into his throat as Potter caught the snitch and Severus spat it on the ground as he landed.

He hated flying. And Slytherin was now behind for the cup.

When he caught up to Quirrell after the match, he was still angry. “We need to have a chat, Quirrell. In the forest, tonight during dinner.”

The spark of fear in Quirrell’s eyes put a spring back in his step.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora stared at the staff table. Dinner was nearly over, and her father hadn’t yet come in. Was he that upset over the Quidditch match?

She frowned, her eyes narrowing. No. He was working on the restorative. Without her. He had to be.

“I’m going down to Father’s office,” she said to Erin and Kim. “Walk with me?”

Erin took a last bite of food and then stood. Kim waved them on. “I’m not leaving before dessert,” she said.

Aurora and Erin headed down to the dungeons, Aurora getting angrier with each step. “He said we were going to pick it back up tomorrow. But he really just wanted to work on it alone again.”

She knew she’d messed up the night before. As much as she considered herself adept at Potions, she was far from an expert Potioneer yet. And it had been stupid, careless. She didn’t really blame him for wanting to be on his own.

But when they found his office empty, her anger turned to confusion.

“Maybe he’s following up on another lead,” Erin offered. “Quirrell wasn’t at dinner, either.”

“He’s told me he’s sure it’s not Quirrell,” Aurora said. She perched on the edge of one of the desks, her legs swinging above the floor. “I’m making stupid mistakes with the potion,” she said. “Maybe he’s found somewhere else to brew it, so that I don’t muck things up again. We almost had it, Erin. It had been brewing for two weeks, it was the perfect color—all it needed was the bezoar and the armadillo bile. I was so sure that was it. Now it’ll be another two weeks, at least, before we know if it will work.”

“You’ll get it,” Erin said. “Snape’s known for his experiments, and if he hasn’t got it yet, you shouldn’t feel bad that you haven’t, either.” She gave her friend a hug.

“I guess not, but that doesn’t stop me from being frustrated that I ruined the last experiment.”

“All Potioneers ruin an experiment now and again.”

Aurora jumped down from the table and faced her father, who was pulling off his outdoor cloak. She frowned at him. “Where were you?”

“Thank you for accompanying her, Miss Cafferty. You may go.” Severus set the cloak onto his desk.

“See you tomorrow, Aurora.” Erin gave her a smile before she hurried out of the classroom.

“What are you doing down here?” Severus asked, leaning against his desk and folding his arms over his chest. “I would have thought you’d be enjoying dinner and reveling in the Gryffindor lead.”

“I came looking for you. You promised you wouldn’t skip meals.”

“One dinner is hardly cause for concern. Perhaps I found I had no appetite after the match.”

“You were doing your best to keep Gryffindor from winning,” she said.

He sniffed. “I called the plays as I saw them.”

“Well, I'm sorry that Slytherin lost their lead.” Aurora offered him a half-smile.

He pursed his lips. “It is of no real consequence. We will regain it.” He exhaled heavily. “Since we’re both here, why don’t we get started on that draught?”

Aurora grinned. “I was thinking the same thing.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks later, they were staring into the cauldron, the final two ingredients on the desk beside them.

“Now the bezoar,” Severus muttered, snapping his fingers when Aurora did not move quickly enough for his liking. She dumped the bezoar in and he stirred – exactly 3 times counter-clockwise – and they sighed in satisfaction as the potion turned amber.

Relief rushed over him. _They had it_. All that was left was to add the bile as a binder and mind enhancement.

Aurora had the jar in her hand, ready to pour it in. He sniffed the air, stopping her hand and taking the jar. He sniffed the contents, then stuck a finger inside, pulling out a viscous substance, and his temper flared.

“Armadillo bile, not flobberworm mucus! This would have –“ but the label clearly said Armadillo bile. In his own hand.

He went to his cupboards and pulled out the flobberworm mucus. But when he unscrewed the lid, it was empty.

Severus flung the jar against the wall, causing Aurora to jump. “What is it?”

“Somebody has broken into my stores,” he said through gritted teeth, “and replaced the armadillo bile with dyed flobberworm mucus. If we had added that, we’d both have been in the hospital wing for a week.”

Her face paled. “Do you think it was _them_?” she asked.

Severus let out a shaky breath. “There was malicious intent here, of that much I am sure.” He growled and nodded to the cauldron. “Crusted over, has it?”

She peered into the brew and nodded.

“Damn!” He slammed the cupboard door shut and rubbed his temples. “Make a note,” he said, eyes closed, taking controlled breaths, “in the log. I will walk you back to your room, and then I will begin another batch tonight, making sure that all of the ingredients we will be using are protected with much stronger wards.” He cleared the cauldron and led her back to their quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Aurora had the first nightmare she’d had since before Christmas.

A blue light, falsely promising comfort, carried her into darkness. Candles flickered into life on stone walls, illuminating a circle of chairs, her friends bound to them with magical ropes.

But there was no point. They were dead. Every one of them, heads lolled onto their shoulders, eyes wide and unblinking.

A flask lay overturned on the table, the remnants of its contents dripping onto the floor. Aurora went over to it and sniffed.

Nightshade. Her friends had all been poisoned – but why? By who?

A strangled laugh came from the shadows in the corner, where the light did not reach. The same cruel laugh she’d heard in the warning she’d received at the start of term.

And now she was back at Spinner’s End, walking beside the man posing as her father as he entered the house.

Somehow, seeing the Killing Curse this time was more painful than it had been before.

And again, the laughter from the first warning as she knelt beside her mother and wept.

She woke up drenched in a cold sweat, the laughter ringing in her ears. After months of peace, to have a nightmare now, especially when they’d just narrowly avoided an orchestrated catastrophe, unnerved her. Sitting up, she waved her wand at the wall sconce and hugged her knees to her chest as it lit, bathing her in a soft warm light.

It was at the front of her brain, that laugh. But she just couldn’t place it.

Aurora was still shaking twenty minutes later when the door to their quarters opened, followed shortly by her own door, her father scowling, prepared to tell her off for still being awake. One look at her face and her still-soaked hair had him at her side, eyes piercing hers.

“A nightmare?”

She nodded. He sucked in air through his teeth, then tilted his head to the side. “Come into the sitting room, have some hot cocoa, and you can give me the details.”

Her cocoa was nearly gone, her legs tucked underneath her as she stared into the fire. She hadn’t spoken, and he hadn’t pressed. With a shuddering breath, she told him about the dream.

“It was harder this time. I didn’t think it could be, but after talking to Mum at Christmas –“ Her voice caught, and she stopped, swallowing back her tears. She wasn’t sure how to put into words the feelings that tore through her body this time. “It was like – like now I know what I lost,” she finished, shaking her head. “Sorry, it’s stupid –“

“No.” Aurora looked up at him, surprised to see the lines in his face relaxed, his mouth drooping at the corners, not quite ready to commit to a frown. “It makes sense. You never had any memories of her before. But now, you’ve spoken to her, touched her. Felt her love.” One corner of his mouth twitched upward. “This dream does not change that. Don’t let it destroy your memory of what it felt like to be encompassed wholly in that warmth, that pure devotion.”

His words were spoken in barely a whisper, but they struck Aurora to her core. He was right. The dream couldn’t take away what she’d felt with her mother. Not unless she allowed it to.

And she didn’t plan on allowing it to do anything of the kind.


	43. Successes

The dreams didn’t come every night, but they were often enough to make Aurora consider taking Dreamless Sleep again.

Her father raised a concerned brow when she came out into the sitting room over a week later—the third time she’d done so—curling up in her chair before the fire. He glanced at the clock to note the hour. “The same?”

She nodded, wrapping the blanket—proffered from his own chair—around herself. “Everyone dead.” Aurora stared into the flames. “Poisoned. And then Mum—“ She sighed. “I’ll be fine.”

He stared at her, a hot bolt of anger rocketing through his body. She was just a child, she should not be made to pay for his perceived sins. “Yes.” He stood from his chair. “Because you’re going to take the Dreamless Sleep again.”

“Father—”

“You need to sleep. If you wear yourself too thin, the effects of the poisoning may resurface.”

“What if the accomplice wants to send me another warning? I thought we decided it was better not to block them.”

“We did.” But that was before he had to watch her stare into the fire until dawn, her face getting paler with each dream. “However, I will not allow you to sacrifice your health. The restorative will be ready in little more than a week, at which point we may have all the answers we need. Until then—” He went into his room, returning with the bottle of potion.

Aurora shook her head. “I won’t take it.”

Severus ground his teeth. “You do not have a choice. If necessary, I will pour it down your throat.”

Her eyes snapped. “The poison is gone; I haven’t had any symptoms since I stopped taking the potions. A little lost sleep every few days isn’t going to kill me, Father.” The anger turned to pleading. “Please. I don’t want take the chance that we’ll miss something important just so I won’t be tired for a week or two.”

He hesitated, setting the bottle onto the side table between the chairs. “Perhaps there is a compromise. When you find yourself unable to sleep after a nightmare, you take the draught. Do this, and I won’t force you to take it preemptively.” Aurora’s shoulders sagged with relief. “On the condition that you then do not attempt to hide your nightmares.”

A hesitation, then another nod. “Deal.”

Severus breathed a little easier. “And while they do continue to disrupt your sleep, you’ll take a fortification potion.”

Aurora let out a huff of air and rolled her head to the side. “I’d rather not.”

“It’s that or the Dreamless Sleep daily. Take your pick.”

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll do the fortification potion.”

“Good. Now take this,“ He poured some of the Dreamless Sleep into a goblet and handed it to her, “and go back to bed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She wouldn’t admit it to her father, but Aurora was glad for the fortification potion the next morning. Even with the Dreamless Sleep she woke with gritty eyes, her brain in a groggy haze. Severus handed her the phial and she gagged it down, coughing as the stench filled her nostrils. “Worse than I remembered it.”

He gave an amused sniff and pocketed the phial. “We tend to gloss over memories of unpleasant things. Get your things or we’ll miss breakfast.”

Aurora gave a weary smile to her friends as she slid into her seat beside Erin. The potion had helped a bit, but her eyes were still heavy.

“Rough night?” Erin’s brows were brought together in a worried ‘v’.

Aurora shook her head. “Not that bad. Just more of the same. Father’s making me take Dreamless Sleep and fortification potions again.”

“Good,” Erin said. “Exams are only two months away, and you’re going to be useless as a study partner if you don’t get enough sleep.”

“Thanks a lot.” Aurora studied her friend’s face, frowning. Erin’s face was drawn and pale, dark circles beneath her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Erin’s eyes darted up to hers, surprised. “Yeah. Just—I’ve been worrying about your dreams, and exams – I don’t know how I’m going to pass Potions.”

Aurora laughed. “We’ll start studying this weekend. My mind will be better able to focus anyway.” She shot a quick look at Jamie, who was chattering away with Cho Chang. “The restorative will be ready by then.” She leaned forward so that Kim could hear as well. “Father says he’ll administer it first thing Sunday morning.”

"Are you sure it'll work?" Kim asked.

"We're pretty sure about this one, but we won't know for sure until we test it.”

"What if she refuses to do it?" Erin asked. Aurora’s jaw dropped open. Jamie couldn't _refuse_ , not after everything that had happened.

"Snape'll force her to do it," Kim said. "He isn't going to just let a mine of information walk out because she has a few qualms."

Erin shook her head. "Dumbledore wouldn't let him go through with it. He isn't much for going against most people's free will and all that."

The discussion was shelved as breakfast ended, and they stood to make their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. All three of their morning classes gave them enough work to do that they didn’t have time to speculate further about what-if scenarios until they went up to the library after lunch and met up with Basil, Ron, Harry, and Hermione. The trio of Ravenclaws filled the others in on the progress, and their fear that Jamie would refuse.

"But she's _got_ to.” Harry’s fists were clenched at his side, a scowl on his face. "Aurora's got a right to hear who really poisoned her!"

"Yeah, but what if Jamie's memory has nothing to do with Aurora's poisoning?" Basil asked.

"You’re all insane." Ron crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are we fighting about what _might_ happen? Me, I reckon Snape's poisoned the memory restorative, because he _knows_ it was Jamie, and that'll be the end of that. He'll tell Dumbledore that it was all an accident, that he hadn't _meant_ to kill her, and—”

"Shut up, Ronnie!" Erin yelled. She stood from the table, earning surprised looks from all of the students in the library. Her face was completely white and her whole body was shaking.

Aurora stood, a hand on her friend’s arm. "What's wrong Erin, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'm just tired of everyone thinking that Snape kills people for pleasure, all right?"

Ron turned red. "Erin, I didn't mean—"

"Just forget it, Ron.” An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as they exchanged glances. Erin shook her head, grabbed her books and left the library before Madam Pince could tell her off.

"Hey!" Kim frowned and turned to Ron. "She didn't call you Ronnie!"

All eyes turned to Ron. "I guess I'd better go after her." He picked up his books and hurried out the door.

"That was bizarre," Basil said. "I don't think I've ever heard Erin yell before. Especially not at Ron."

"I know," Aurora said. "I wonder what's gotten into her?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erin wasn’t at dinner that night, and Ron said she’d blown him off after the library and retreated into Ravenclaw tower. Aurora was still restricted to her classes, the library, her quarters, or her father’s company. She let out a huff of frustration. “Go up and check on her, Kim, won’t you?” she asked. “And one or the both of you, come down to my rooms after and let me know she’s okay?”

Kim nodded, standing up and gulping down her pumpkin juice. “Yeah. You heard her, though. She’s stressed out about exams already.”

“I know – just – it would make me feel better to know she’s okay.”

Kim grabbed a pumpkin pasty and headed out of the hall for the tower. Aurora waited until the Hall was nearly empty, then shot a look at her father and stood, heading for the Slytherin table. Basil looked up, a quick glance at Draco before he finished his pumpkin juice.

“Walk me to my father’s quarters?” she asked.

“Yeah, of course.” He stood and fell into line beside her. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Worried about Erin. She hasn’t been herself lately.”

Basil chewed on his lower lip. “I think she’s afraid Ron’s going to break up with her. She mentioned something the other day, about how he’s spending so much time with Harry and Hermione, he’s never around.”

“Oh.” Aurora hadn’t even noticed there’d been tension between her friends. Of course, the last month or so, she hadn’t been with them much. The thought sent a pang of guilt through her. They walked down the stairway in silence, Aurora speaking again once they’d reached the door to their rooms. “Thanks, Basil. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to practice any Muggle magic this term.”

Basil let out a puff of air and shook his head, smiling. “You’ve had a few more important things on your mind. I hadn’t even thought about it much. I mean, I enjoy it, but I’ve been busy worrying about you and who’s doing this.” He looked towards the door and frowned. “Are you going to be okay by yourself in there?”

“Father’s loaded it with wards.” She waved her hand at the door. “He’s just going to be grading papers in his office, and I’d rather curl up by the fire and get some homework done. After Hermione helped me break into his room, he put some sort of ward up that won’t even allow anyone else in. Watch.”

She spoke the password and stepped inside, then motioned for him to follow.

Basil hesitated. “What does the ward do?”

“I don’t know, honestly.”

He took a step backward. “Think I’d better not risk it.”

Aurora laughed. “I don’t blame you.”

“So what is it, did he say? I haven’t heard of a charm that can only let certain people in.”

“It’s not a charm. He said something about using blood magic, but I don’t know how it works. It’ll only let him or me in when he’s not here.”

Basil nodded, looking impressed. “That’s pretty handy.”

“It lets him leave me here on my own,” she said. “You should go – I bet you’ve got at least one assignment due tomorrow that you haven’t started.”

He grinned and shrugged. “Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

“Oh, good, I caught you!” Jamie was breathless as she rounded the corner, and Aurora was immediately on guard. How much had she heard? “Kim said Erin wasn’t in the dorm. She doesn’t know where she went, but she’s going to look for her.”

“Tell her I’m fine,” Erin’s arms hugged herself as she stepped up behind Jamie. “Can we talk?” she asked Aurora.

“I’m going to get to my dorm.” Basil tugged on Jamie’s arm when she didn’t budge. “C’mon. Go and tell Kim to stop looking.”

When they were gone, Aurora hugged her friend. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there lately,” she said.

Erin pulled back. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. You’ve got enough going on. I just wanted to apologize for dumping more on you.”

Her eyes were rimmed with red from crying. Aurora felt even guiltier. “You didn’t dump anything on me. And I want to be there for you, too.” She let out a frustrated grunt. “Let’s go down to Father’s office. I’ll see if he’ll let us sit in the classroom and talk.”

“I’ve got to get my Herbology assignment done. I just wanted to tell you not to worry.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Aurora pulled her door shut and linked her arm through her friend’s. “Even if he says no, we can talk on the way down there, just the two of us.”

“I wish this was all over,” Erin said. “For your sake, but also a bit for mine. I miss having you in the dorm.”

Aurora agreed. She missed being in the dorm with her friends, but a part of her looked forward to the evenings by the fire with her father. It wasn’t something the two of them had done at Spinner’s End, and for the first time in her life, she was getting to know her parents. Both of them. But she smiled at Erin and said, “I miss it too. So. Tell me what’s going on with you and Ron.”

Erin swallowed and tilted her head to the side as she shrugged. “It wasn’t ever going to go anywhere. We’re just kids, anyway. I didn’t really expect –“ She sighed. “He’d rather spend his time with Harry and Hermione. It’s fine. It’s going to end one way or the other before exams.”

“I’m sorry, Erin. I know how much you liked him.”

Erin shrugged again. “Really. It’s fine. What about you? The nightmares –“

“They’re nothing I can’t handle.”

“Good.”

“Hopefully, after Sunday, they’ll go completely.”

“How so?”

“Once Jamie takes the restorative and can tell them what really happened, they’re going to catch the ones doing this, and then I won’t have to worry about the dreams anymore. Or taking that nasty fortifying potion.” Aurora shuddered just thinking about it.

They reached the door to the Potions classroom, but Erin hung back. “This was nice, just the two of us chatting.”

The door swung open, Severus filling the doorway, his cool gaze sweeping across them. “Why aren’t you in your rooms, ladies?”

“We were actually coming down to see about using the classroom for extra practice,” Erin said. “With exams coming up, I want to do whatever I can to make it through.”

Aurora tilted her head and looked at her friend. It was partially true, but why hadn’t she just let Aurora ask about using the class to chat? “I told her I’d help her practice. It’s still studying, even if it isn’t in the library.”

“Commendable, Miss Cafferty,” Severus said. A smirk slid up his face. “As you will require a _lot_ of practice to pass my exam. You may use the classroom when you have a free period directly after lunch. I cannot permit your inevitable explosions to disrupt my other classes. For now, I suggest you return to your room. It is nearly past curfew.”

“Yes, sir,” Erin said. Aurora thought she saw the tension ease a little from her face, and she was glad for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had their first practice the very next day after lunch. Aurora brought her notes from the whole year, and the two of them looked through them, settling on starting from the beginning.

“I don’t even remember doing half of this,” Erin moaned.

From his desk at the front of the room, Severus snorted. But he refrained from speaking. He’d made it clear that he was there to supervise, and if they required more than that, Erin would need to sign up for remedial Potions lessons. Word around the castle was that was _not_ a pleasant experience.

“We’ll get it,” Aurora said. “We have plenty of time before exams.”

They started the cure for boils, Aurora keeping a close eye on Erin as she worked her way through each step. “See?” Aurora grinned when Erin's potion came out perfectly.

“Thanks!” Erin tensed when Severus came over to look at their handiwork.

“Not bad.” He nodded his approval. “You may pass after all, Miss Cafferty.” Erin beamed. “Be quick about clearing up. You spent far too much time quibbling over how to begin. The bell is about to ring.” Even as he said it, the bell sounded through the dungeons, echoing off the walls.

It startled Erin, and she knocked a jar of snake fangs onto the floor, the glass shattering. “Oh!”

“I’ll get it, you get the desk.” Aurora bent to pick up the broken jar. “Ow!” A piece of the glass sliced open her finger, and she stuck it in her mouth.

“Step away.” Severus’ voice was edged with annoyance. “A simple _reparo_ would have been sufficient.” A wave of his wand sent the repaired jar back to the classroom shelves. He pulled her hand away from her mouth and examined the cut, passing his wand over it. It healed, the pooling blood gone.

“Thanks.” Aurora flexed her finger to remove the last vestiges of pain.

“Use your head,” he advised before turning back to his desk. “My next class will have lined up by now. Aurora, I'd like you to stay in my office this afternoon. Ingredients need to be added to the restorative while I will be teaching.”

Aurora glanced at Erin, grinning. “You trust me to do that on my own?”

“You will hardly be on your own,” he said.

Erin squeezed Aurora’s arm. “Have fun. I’ll see you at dinner. Thanks again, Aurora. This is going to work so well!”

Aurora walked to her father’s office after Erin left.

“You did very well with Miss Cafferty,” he said. He had his head tilted to one side, studying her. “The way you guided her, prompted her when she’d forgotten, encouraging her to recall the information on her own – I almost felt as though I was listening to your mother as she helped her students.”

Aurora's chest swelled, a lump rising in her throat. “Really?”

He nodded brusquely, then cleared his throat and pointed to the cauldron. “I’ve set up alarms to sound at the proper times. We’ve done this so often I doubt you need reminded, but the steps are there on my desk. And you know how important the timing is –“ The bell rang, and he sighed. “I have already inspected the ingredients, and everything is in order.” He turned away to let the class in.

Aurora thought she might burst from pride.


	44. Hopeless

“No, Erin, those are beetle eyes—” Aurora’s warning came too late. Erin grabbed beetle eyes instead of billywig stings and added them to the potion.

The cauldron exploded, taking the objects on the desk with it. Aurora squeezed her eyes shut and held her hands up to protect her face a second too late. Shards of glass flew past, cutting her arms, hands, and face.

Erin’s cry of pain meant her friend had met a similar fate.

Her father was at their side before the glass fell to the ground, gently pulling Aurora’s arms down. She opened her eyes, closing the right one when blood dripped into it. Severus pressed a handkerchief to what she assumed was the cut the blood was coming from, and she winced at the pressure.

“Hold it there,” he said before turning to Erin. “Miss Cafferty?”

“I- I’m fine,” Erin said, though she was trembling. She had a few scratches on her arms, but the brunt of the jars had been on Aurora’s side of the cauldron.

He cleared the debris from the floor and desk and pressed Aurora into the desk chair, hovering over her as he looked for glass shards still in her wounds.

“Well done thinking to protect your eyes.” His jaw tightened with each sliver of glass levitated from beneath her skin. “Why did you even have beetle eyes on the table?”

“I must have grabbed them by mistake,” Erin said.

“Aren’t the ingredient jars supposed to shatter in big pieces?” Aurora asked, wincing as he cleaned and healed another cut. “So they don’t lodge in your skin quite so much?”

“They do,” he said. “Or rather, they _did_. I’ll need to check the charms on them all before my next class.”

“It was _them_ , wasn’t it?” Aurora whispered. “Just like with the armadillo bile.”

He exhaled through his nose. “Stop fidgeting, you’ll drive some of these shards in deeper.”

“What—what happened with the armadillo bile?” Erin asked, eyes wide.

“It’s why the last batch failed. They switched it out for flobberworm mucus. And now this.” Aurora shuddered as she thought about how much damage could have been done – not to just her and Erin, but any student who had the misfortune of breaking one as Erin had.

Erin drew in a sharp breath, drawing both Aurora’s and her father’s attention. She had gone white.

Severus straightened from Aurora’s side. “Perhaps you had better go up to the hospital wing. The both of you. Miss Cafferty, you may have microscopic slivers in those wounds – Madam Pomfrey will be best able to assist you. And that cut above your eye—” he turned back to Aurora, “—is too deep for me to heal properly. Keep the handkerchief pressed on it, you’ll be fine. Leave your things, they’ll be in my office when you’re through. Go.”

The girls walked into the hall, Erin hugging her arms around herself. “Aurora, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s my fault as much as yours,” Aurora said.

She hadn’t been paying close enough attention to the ingredients Erin had brought from the shelves, or she’d have noticed that she’d grabbed the wrong jar at the beginning. A drop of blood ran down from beneath the handkerchief, and she grimaced as she pressed it more tightly to her head.

Madam Pomfrey, per usual, tutted over them, decrying the safety conditions of the dungeons.

“Those charms ought to be renewed every fortnight,” she muttered as she pulled the handkerchief away. She tossed it onto the table between the beds Aurora and Erin were perched on. “And I’ve told them over and over that protective eyewear should be required from the start. You were very lucky you didn’t lose an eye, dear.”

“I know,” Aurora said. “But we think someone messed with the charms.”

Madam Pomfrey’s wand paused over Aurora’s face, but she regained her composure quickly, and continued the spell.

Aurora could feel the skin pulling itself back together and put her hand up to touch it.

Madam Pomfrey smacked it away. “It’ll be tender for a day or so. And it wasn’t so deep that it’ll scar.” She pressed a piece of gauze to it and taped it up. “Leave it be. Now, then. Let’s see about you, dear.”

Her wand went over each of Erin’s cuts, and she nodded with satisfaction, healing them all in just under a minute. “You’ll be fine. Now, off you go. And Miss Snape – “ Aurora turned. She and Erin were already halfway to the door. “-tell that father of yours I’ll be having a word with him this evening.”

“Yes, Madam Pomfrey.” Aurora grinned at Erin as they hurried out. “See? No harm done.”

Erin looked more miserable than ever. “I did so well on Tuesday. I thought that I’d be able to do this without a problem, but now—”

“You made a mistake, that’s it,” Aurora said. “You were brilliant the other day, and you’ll just make sure you pay more attention to what you take off the shelves next time. You’ll get it. You’re not in Ravenclaw for nothing, you know.”

Erin sighed, taking a shaky breath. “Aurora, I –“

“Well, well. Coming back from the hospital wing, are we?” David’s sneer stopped them in their tracks. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Fighting again, Rinkle – or wait, it’s Snape now, that’s right. Knew there was something off about you.”

“Leave her alone.” Erin’s fists clenched at her sides.

David turned to his sister and sniffed. “How lucky you have a bodyguard, Snape. Nobody’ll mess with you now, with my baby sister to protect you.” He laughed and brushed past them.

Erin was shaking. “I’m sorry about him.”

“You can’t help how he acts,” Aurora said. “At least I’m not in the same tower anymore. Makes him a little more bearable.”

“Let’s get our books. I – I’m not feeling well.”

“Don’t worry about David, really. He doesn’t bother me. And we can go down and wait in the corridor, but Father’ll have our heads if we interrupt a class.”

“Okay. But as soon as class is over, I’m going back to the tower. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Aurora said. Erin was scaring her. She’d never seen her this upset. “Erin, is everything okay? I mean, apart from David?”

Erin laughed humorlessly. “Apart from David, everything’s bloody fantastic.”

The skin on Aurora’s neck prickled. “Did something happen when you went home for Christmas? Something with David?”

“No. I’m just – “ They reached the door to Severus’s classroom and Erin shook her head. “I’m sorry. I know he’ll be livid, but my head –“ she pushed open the door, Aurora trailing in behind her, eyes wide, mouth open.

Severus’s eyes snapped to them. He’d been making his rounds from table to table. Aurora thanked Merlin he hadn’t been in the middle of speaking. He nodded towards his office and the girls followed him inside.

His eyes went to the bandage on Aurora’s forehead.

“Madam Pomfrey said it’ll be fine tomorrow. No scar,” she said. “But she wants to have a word with you later, she said.”

Erin picked up her books. “Excuse me, professor, but I need to go lie down. I’ll see you later, Aurora.”

She was out the door before either of them could question her further.

“Madam Pomfrey told us I was lucky not to lose an eye,” Aurora said, staring after her friend. “I think Erin’s really upset about having caused the explosion.”

“As well she should be.” Severus’ tone was sharp. “It was a careless mistake. Even if the charms had been on those jars –“

“So they were removed, then?”

“Yes. I have replaced them all. Needless to say I will be checking them before every class for quite some time.” He peered back into his classroom to ascertain the students were doing as they were told. “Stuck with me for the afternoon, then. Good. You can keep an eye on the restorative.”

The restorative didn’t need her attention. It looked flawless, and Saturday afternoon in the library, she shared her excitement with her friends.

“Father’s finishing it tonight,” she said. “Tomorrow we’ll know.”

“And if she decides not to take it, we’ve got this as a backup.” Kim spun the phial of truth serum in her fingers.

“Maybe don’t go flashing that around,” Aurora said, casting a look over her shoulder.

Kim stashed the serum in her robes. 

“Father doesn’t think a truth serum would work, but maybe it will make her tell us why she wouldn’t take the memory restorative. _Something_.”

But despite Kim’s words, Aurora felt certain that Jamie would come through. Her dormmate had been nothing but polite and even friendly since she came back from break, and Aurora was having a harder and harder time believing that the other girl had intentionally poisoned her.

She begged her father to let her stay in his office with him while he finished the potion that evening, but he wouldn’t budge.

“You need to rest.”

“I’ve been taking the Dreamless Sleep _and_ the fortification potion,” she said.

“It won’t be done until just past midnight,” he said. “And you will be in bed long before then.”

“I just want to be here when it’s finished. Is that really such a bad thing?”

He sighed, letting out a low growl. “No. It isn’t. But the rules of this castle apply to you as well. Curfew is to be kept. You will stay in your room.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora tried to stay awake that night, sitting up in the armchair in front of the fire, but by the time the clock struck midnight, her eyes were too heavy, and she fell asleep.

_She was walking down the hallways of the school, her nerves shattered. There was nobody else around, not even a patrolling prefect or Flich. Of course, he would have seen to it that she didn't run into trouble along the way. As she descended the staircase into the dungeons, her gut coiled painfully inside of her, and she felt an urge to resist the orders she'd been given._

_"I'm not doing it," she gasped, clinging to the wall. "I won't do this." But even as she struggled against the power that had brought her to this point, she heard his voice again._

_"Keep going -" he hissed in her ear. "You're nearly there now. I'll be very angry if you don't do this for me now.."_

_The voice overtook her again, and she continued down the stairs, along the hall, and into Severus's empty classroom._

_His office door was open, and a shaft of light spilled onto the floor from within. She crept close to the wall and peered around the corner. He had his back to her, leaning over the cauldron._

_"Like taking sugar quills from a baby," the voice laughed in her ear._

_She muttered a charm which caused the Potions Master to collapse to the floor, asleep, then stepped over him and looked into the cauldron. The potion inside was boiling rapidly, growing a deeper shade of blue by the second._

_"Now add the moonseed poison," the voice instructed._

_She took a phial from her robes and dumped its contents into the brew. A single puff of smoke emerged, then drifted towards the unseen ceiling of the room before dissipating. Without needing the voice to tell her, she gathered the potion into the empty phial and sat it on Severus's desk, levitating him into his chair._

_"Go back to to your common room."_

_She nodded woodenly, then turned and made her way back out of the door, out of the classroom, and into the dark, deserted hallways._

_Aurora bolted awake, shivering despite the fire. That voice. It had been as clear as day. And she recognized it._

"Well, well." The voice from the doorway caused her to cry out in alarm.

An additional scream threatened to overwhelm her as the speaker stepped into the room, clutching the bloody handkerchief from the hospital wing.

She had no chance to even shout before he silenced her, casting a body bind and a disillusionment charm, levitating her quickly from the room.

He had one of his damn pens clipped to his robes.


	45. Chaos

Severus opened his eyes, groaning as the aches in his body protested from being cramped into the office chair all night.

"What the hell?" He didn't remember sitting down, let alone falling asleep in the chair.

He stood, arching his back to stretch the muscles, his eyes scanning the room. He remembered checking the potion, getting ready to bottle it – yes, there it was on his desk. Pocketing it, he narrowed his eyes. Something was off – he wasn't prone to sleeping in his office, no matter how exhausted.

His stomach growled, and a glance at his watch revealed that it was time for breakfast. He headed to his rooms for a change of clothes, and to walk Aurora up to the Hall, but when he got there, the room was empty.

Lips pursed, he changed and hurried to the hall. If she'd gone up by herself, he was going to start hexing her to her bed when he wasn't there.

The Hall was full, most of the students nearly finished with their breakfast. Aurora's spot at the Ravenclaw table was ominously vacant, her friends still seated, chattering away. Severus approached them, almost unable to contain the trembling in his hands.

"Where is Aurora?" he asked. A hush fell over the Ravenclaws.

"Isn't she with you?" Erin asked, eyes widening.

"If she were, I would hardly need to ask her whereabouts," he snapped, head turning in every direction, eyes scanning the Hall. She wasn't there.

_Merlin, please-_

Mail owls swooped into the room, dropping packages and letters onto the tables. All of the noise seemed to be sucked out of the room as an envelope landed in front of him, at Aurora's empty place.

The lettering: SS, in bold, black letters, leapt from the paper. He looked up, but the owl who had delivered it had long since gone, and he cursed himself for not being more observant.

With steadier hands then he would have thought possible, he lifted the envelope. As he brought it towards him it leapt from his hands and soared into the air, emitting copious amounts of green smoke.

The smoke began to drift, but not outward into the Hall or the open door behind him, but in on itself, until it had formed an image: a skull, entwined with serpents.

The Dark Mark.

Now the noise in the Hall _truly_ died down, save for the screams from a few of the older students. Dumbledore appeared at Severus's side, and as he raised his wand to rid the Hall of the envelope and the Mark, his eyebrows, too, were raised in question.

Ice stabbed through his veins at the implication of the Mark and Aurora's absence. "Aurora is missing. It has to be _now_ , Albus."

Severus's eyes found Jamie; she looked as bewildered as most of the first years. Erin was next to her, her face pale, her hands trembling. Evidently, she'd seen the Dark Mark before. He grabbed Jamie's arm and unceremoniously began leading her to his office, ignoring the calls from Filius.

"What's going on, Professor?" she asked, fear unmistakable in her voice.

"I'll explain in time, Miss Hobbs," he snapped.

"Have I done something?"

"Unless you wish to be expelled, I advise you to keep quiet until otherwise instructed."

They reached the classroom, and he pulled her into his office.

Albus and Minerva were on his heels, and Minerva grabbed the phial of memory restorative from his hand before he could uncork it.

"Sit," he said to Jamie, releasing her arm and pointing to the chair. "Give that to me, Minerva."

"I will not," she said, her lips pressed in a thin line.

"This is not the time to lose your head, Professor," Albus said.

"The only thing I have lost is my _daughter_." Every second they delayed was putting Aurora that much closer to harm, he could feel it.

"And we will find her," Albus said. "But you have not obtained Miss Hobbs's permission to administer that restorative, and I cannot allow you to do so until she agrees to it."

"She is the _only_ one who is capable of revealing Aurora's tormentor!" Severus shot at him. "Her consent be damned!"

"Excuse me," came Jamie's small voice from the chair.

Severus whipped around to glare at her.

"What is it, girl?"

"I don't know who's doing this to Aurora. I swear I don't."

"We know," Dumbledore said, lifting a silencing hand as Severus began to speak. "Miss Hobbs, we believe that whoever is behind these disgraceful acts has used you as one of their pawns."

Jamie's eyes flew open with fear. "But I would never hurt Aurora! She's my friend!" Tears began to well up in her eyes, and Severus's impatience grew.

"That –" Severus flung a finger toward the phial in Minerva's hands, "- is a memory restorative. The memory you hold of the day Aurora was poisoned has been tampered with, and we must get to the _real_ memory to learn the identity of this madman."

Dumbledore gave him a disapproving stare as he turned again to Jamie, her eyes widened even further.

"What we need from you, Miss Hobbs, is consent to imbibe this potion. We are not sure that it will be successful, but we are certain that it will not harm you. Will you try it?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "I'll do it if it'll help Aurora."

* * *

Aurora woke to a searing pain in her head, lying in complete darkness. The floor beneath her was cold and hard, and she could only guess that she was in one of the unused dungeons. She struggled into a sitting position and searched frantically for her wand.

"Of course it isn't there," she muttered, resting her back and head against the wall behind her. "He'd have thought of that."

She couldn't see anything in the darkness, and she wasn't sure how long she'd been awake before she noticed a sliver of light in the distance across from her. She stood shakily, making her way over to the source of the light. When she reached it, she felt the area above the crack, searching for a latch or anything that would open the door.

Her search proved fruitless, and she sank to the floor in frustration.

"There's no way I'm getting out of here without magic." Her thoughts went to the dream from the night before. The warning, she was sure it had meant to be.

The door slid open suddenly, and she tried to scramble out of it, but it closed too quickly.

David's laughter sent chills down her spine. And then he was next to her, his breath hot and repulsive on her face.

"See what my sister's warnings have gotten you? Nowhere. Not so full of yourself now, are you, _Snape_? _Crucio!_ "

Aurora screamed, the pain searing through her body, leaving her breathless.

"Why?" she gasped as the pain died away. "I know you hate me, but _why_?"

"Don't tell me he's never even mentioned it?" David said, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Never, not once in your entire life?"

"Mentioned what?"

"How he played the hero and saved you from a lunatic's murderous intent?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Hector Pruitt was my father."

Even in the blackness, Aurora could sense the hatred in the boy's gaze.

"He killed my mother!" Aurora shouted, not caring what the consequences were.

"He did what he needed to do to reveal your father for the traitor that he was! That he still is!"

"That's a lie! The only thing he's guilty of was protecting us. Protecting me. From _your_ father!"

"What _you_ believe isn't important now," David said. "You have no idea what it's like, being five years old and listening to your mother cry her heart out night after endless night. Or hearing about your father's death every day for ten years. My father should have walked away that day, lauded by the Dark Lord's followers after revealing Snape as a spy. Instead, _he_ has everything."

"He doesn't have my mother. Your father saw to that."

"Enough," David said. "Soon they will give the poisoned memory restorative to Hobbs, and then I'll toy with your father a bit more. It's going to be great fun to see him writhe when he can't find us."

"What about your accomplice?"

"Do you mean you haven't figured it out yet?" He laughed, the high, cruel laughter she remembered from the dream. "And you call me thick! I have only one accomplice. My darling little sister."

Aurora's blood turned to ice. "But she couldn't be - she would've told me if she'd known."

David laughed again. "At last! I've evoked some worry from you! And have no doubts about her friendship. She's been through just what I have, and she's just as angry about our father's murder."

Aurora felt the small seed of hope she'd held plummet in her chest. There was nothing to do now. They were never going to find her.

* * *

Severus triumphantly plucked the phial from Minerva's grasp and uncorked it, handing it to Jamie.

"Drink it."

She brought it to her lips, but before she swallowed anything, the door to Severus's office burst open. Erin stood in the doorway, shaking and white as a ghost.

"N-no!" Erin lurched to Jamie's seat and grabbed for the phial from the other girl.

"Erin, what are you doing?" Jamie asked, trying to hold the phial out of reach.

Erin grabbed it, holding it close to her chest and backing into the door.

"Hand that over this instant!" Severus roared.

"N-no!" Erin said again, sweat pouring down her face. She raised the phial jerkily above her head, then released it, sending it soaring towards the floor.

Severus tried to catch it, but it shattered onto the stone, and he fixed a steely gaze on the trembling girl. He growled as he advanced on her. "You will live to regret that."

"Severus!" Minerva's shout brought him up short.

He turned to see both her and Albus standing next to Erin.

"Can't you see she isn't herself?" Minerva said as Albus began speaking in low tones to the girl.

"That's right, my girl. Fight it. Break free."

"I – I can't. I'm sorry." Erin fell to the floor, convulsing.

"Severus –" Albus pulled Severus over, and he quickly took stock of what was happening.

Rapid pulse. Labored breathing. No foaming, that was a good sign. But she was burning with fever.

"This isn't just the Imperius Curse," Severus said. "She's been poisoned." He jumped up and ran to his apothecary cupboard, pulling out the drawer with the bezoars. He had one unboxed and in Erin's mouth before he had finished kneeling.

Her convulsions stopped, but her breathing and pulse did not level out. Severus lifted her easily – she was barely more than skin and bones – and turned to the Headmaster.

"She needs the hospital wing," he said, not waiting for a response before hurrying out the door.

* * *

"You made this so easy," David said. "Erin played her part well, and you trusted her implicitly, didn't you, you stupid girl? No wonder Snape is able to fool you."

Aurora didn't answer. They'd been playing at this back and forth for what felt like hours, David trying to get her to rise to his taunting. It hadn't been working. He'd taunt, she'd remain silent. But even that was beginning to make him angry.

"And you're a coward, just like he is," he said. "All the times Erin told me about you breaking down, crying that this wasn't fair –"

"Terrorizing a kid who hasn't done anything to you _isn't_ fair. _Davey._ " That was stupid. She knew it as soon as she'd said it. But she was tired of taking his jibes, tired of hearing her father lambasted.

There was silence. And that terrified her. The hair on her arms stood on end, and she could picture him, sitting across from her, a cruel smirk on his face.

"My name – "

A bolt of pain flooded her body, ripping through her insides, making her cling to the floor.

" – is – "

Another jolt, barely waiting for the first to subside.

"- _David_. _Cruico!_ "

Aurora screamed. The pain was like a thousand hot pokers stabbing through her body. When it was over, she was curled up in a ball, sobbing, her face against the cool stone floor.

"Maybe now you'll remember it."

" _All students are to report back to their dormitories. Prefects and staff are to report to the Great Hall immediately._ " Minerva's voice echoed through the darkened room.

"So that's Hobbs dead." David's voice was light, as though he were mentioning the weather was fine. "And my darling sister, too, I shouldn't wonder."

She heard him stand.

"I'll be back. Wouldn't want anyone to notice me missing and get suspicious. Besides, I want to see them take Snape to Azkaban."

The door opened, and she squinted against the sudden brightness. She couldn't see anything beyond the light. Nothing that gave her any indication of where he was hiding her.

When she was in darkness, alone again, she allowed herself respite from the pain by sinking into unconsciousness.


	46. Torture

Severus tried to stay calm. It wouldn't help anyone, least of all Aurora, if he was panicked. He'd only felt this helpless once before.

And he'd been the cause of it that time, too.

No. This wasn't the same. This wasn't Voldemort going after Lily, this was a student going after his daughter. They could still stop this. He still had a chance of finding her. He had to believe that, or the panic would overwhelm him.

They had called for the staff and the prefects, and Albus was explaining the situation as people arrived. The staff would be searching the castle, the prefects would be patrolling the corridors by their respective house dorms to ensure students were staying put.

"Cafferty." Severus called the fifth year Ravenclaw over as he came into the Hall.

David approached him, frowning. "Professor?"

"You need to get to the hospital wing," he said numbly. "Your sister –"

David's eyes widened, a tremor in his voice as he asked, "She's not hurt, is she, sir?"

"Madam Pomfrey will explain. Go on."

David gave him an odd look before turning and hurrying out of the Hall.

The prefects dispersed to their duties, and the staff crowded around Severus at the head table.

"We will be doing a systematic search," he said, clearing his throat.

How in the hell was his voice so steady?

"Two staff per floor. Albus and I will be taking the dungeons. Where the blazes is Flich?"

Mr. Filch came hurrying into the room, arms full of rolled up maps of the castle. He dumped them on the table. "I know about a lot of the hidden passages," he wheezed, rolling out each map. "But I don't know all of the rooms – they usually need magic to reveal."

Severus's jaw clenched. Another obstacle. More time they'd have to waste. Time Aurora may not have.

He couldn't breathe.

"You all have your briefs," Albus said. "If you find anything at all, report directly to me. If you see any student wandering, let us know."

When they had all hurried away, Albus turned to Severus and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.

Severus could finally draw a shallow, shaky breath and nodded stiffly. "Let's get started."

* * *

Nothing.

Six bloody hours of searching, and they'd found _nothing_.

Severus was back in his quarters, combing over the room, latching on to anything that might give him a clue as to who had taken her, or where.

A bloody handkerchief in the corner that he recognized from the accident with Erin on Thursday. Aurora's wand, lying on the table between the armchairs, an ominous reminder that wherever she was, she was defenseless.

There was nothing else.

He picked up her wand, holding it gingerly, as though he would break it if he held it too tightly.

It thrummed with her magic, and he released a strangled cry, falling to his knees, the wand held to his chest. If she were dead, the wand would have been lifeless as well.

 _Get up_ , he chided.

His body was lead. He couldn't think straight. He clutched his daughter's wand, afraid to let it go.

The door opened and closed, footsteps hurrying to him.

Malichi.

He knelt beside Severus, strong hands beneath his elbows, getting him to his feet. Malichi's eyes were hooded. He was as frightened as Severus was. The realization gave him no comfort.

"The wand," Malichi croaked, running his tongue over his lips.

 _His throat is as dry as mine_.

Severus shook his head. "She's still alive."

Malichi closed his eyes, his fingers digging into Severus's arms. He nodded, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes and focusing on Severus again.

"Then why are you shut up in here, doing nothing?" he asked, his tone firm, his voice soft.

"We've searched the castle, top to bottom, every hidden room and passage we know of. Nothing. There's not one damn trace."

"Albus told me about her friend, Cafferty. I went up to see her. She's resting more comfortably, but she's not conscious yet. Poppy's not sure she will be in time to be of any help."

"I'm surprised Poppy let more than one visitor in at a time," he said, taking a deep breath.

"There were no other visitors," Malichi said, frowning. "The girl was alone."

Severus's head snapped up. "Her brother wasn't there?"

Malichi shook his head. Severus stashed Aurora's wand in his robes and jerked open the door, racing up to the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, where their prefects were stationed.

"David Cafferty," Severus demanded of them. "Has he –"

"I'm here, Professor."

David stepped around the corner, head tilted quizzically. "Was there something you needed?"

"I would have thought you'd be at your sister's side," Severus said, eyes narrowing.

The boy shrugged. "Nothing I can do there, sir. At least here, I can be useful."

He was maintaining eye contact, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. Severus couldn't detect any falseness in his words.

And yet – something was off.

"Perhaps we should have a chat, Cafferty," he said. "In my office."

"What are you playing at?" Malichi's voice was directly behind him, low enough so that only he could hear.

"I don't know yet," Severus admitted, turning and leading the way downstairs.

David took the seat in front of Severus's desk when it was offered, perched on the edge, that same half-smile on his face.

"What did Madam Pomfrey tell you of your sister's condition?" Severus asked.

"Only that she had been poisoned, and you saved her, sir. Thank you."

Was there a hint of sarcasm behind his words? Severus narrowed his eyes.

"I believe Aurora –" Severus swallowed the rising lump in his throat that the mere mention of her name caused, "- has mentioned that you and your sister don't get on. Is that why you don't seem at all concerned about her recovery?"

"Of course I'm concerned," David said smoothly. "In fact, I'm fully invested in it. But as I said, my sitting at her side does nothing, and if I'm patrolling the corridors, I have the chance to help make the one responsible for all of this pay."

His eyes were focused on Severus's own. There was no fear, no concern, no emotion.

 _Occlumency. He's been taught Occlumency._ _And he's using it_.

Severus caught Malichi's eye over the boy's head. The older wizard shook his head. He hadn't been able to break through the boy's barriers, either.

He'd been taught well.

"Do you know anything at all about my daughter's disappearance?" Severus asked, gaze unblinking.

"Of course not, Professor. I would have told you immediately."

"And your sister? Were you aware that she was under the Imperius Curse this morning?"

David tilted his head to the side. "How could I be? This is the first anyone's said anything about that to me. How do you know?"

"Because she successfully fought it off," Severus said. "Just after she smashed a memory restorative we were about to use."

David's smirk slipped. "Memory restorative?"

"Yes. It was not easy to come by, and its destruction set us back several weeks. Do you have any idea what would have prompted her to want it destroyed?"

"No, sir. Perhaps it will be better if you ask her when she wakes."

"My daughter may not be afforded the luxury of waiting," Severus said sharply. "If you have any information, Mr. Cafferty, now is the time to give it."

"Erin told me that Aurora was poisoned at Christmas," David said, his smugness back in place. "We seem to have a lot of it going around lately, don't we, Professor Snape? I do hope the one who started it gets what they deserve."

Severus stared at him. He knew something. Was he the one behind all of this? With the damned Occlumency in play, he couldn't know for sure. And he _had_ to be sure, or he could wind up in Azkaban himself.

"Oh, they will, Cafferty," he said smoothly. "I'll make sure of it."

"If that's all, Professor, I think I'd like to sit with my sister for a bit after all."

"Of course," Severus said, eyes still trained on the boy's.

David stood and left the dungeons.

"Watch him," Severus muttered to Malichi.

The older man grunted in agreement and set off to trail the student.

Severus went to the Ravenclaw dorms. If he knew his daughter and her friends, they'd gone ahead with the truth serum despite his orders.

And he knew just who to use it on.

* * *

Kim stood in front of Ravenclaw Tower, her face pale and streaked with tears.

"Have you found _anything_ , Professor?" she asked.

"Perhaps. I believe you might be able to help."

"Of course. How?"

"The truth serum you and your friends brewed," he said.

Kim's eyes widened.

"If you refuse to cooperate –"

"No, it's not that," Kim said, pulling the phial from her robes and handing it to him. "But – how did you know?"

"Because I know my daughter," he said. He hadn't really believed it – had never felt that he knew her, really, the entire time she'd been alive. But this year, with all that had happened, he at least had a rudimentary understanding of her.

And that was a start.

"Go back to your common room." He held up the phial. "Thank you for this. We'll deal with your rule breaking another time."

Kim's mouth dropped open, and she shook her head and muttered an obscenity under her breath before going back into the tower.

Severus let it slide.

He found Malichi outside of the hospital wing, leaning against the wall.

"The boy's been in there since he left your office," he said, nodding towards the door. "Nobody's come in or out since."

"Good." Severus held up the truth serum.

Malichi arched an eyebrow. "Albus grant his permission?"

"Surely you recall that I prefer to beg forgiveness. Let's end this, Malichi."

"And you're not concerned about his Occlumency making it ineffective? Somebody has coached the boy, surely they would have taught him to be wary of truth potions."

"We will need to make sure his emotions are high."

"I think between the two of us, we can manage that," Malichi said, his lip twitching up in a smirk.

They pulled open the doors to the hospital wing to see Poppy hovering over Erin's bed.

"I was just about to call you," she said, wringing her hands. "I'm afraid she's taken a turn, and I can't imagine how."

Severus looked around the room, noting the empty chair beside Erin's bed.

"Her brother, Poppy. Where is her brother?"

"He was in for just a moment," she said. "But that was nearly half an hour ago. You don't think –"

"Go," Malichi urged him. "I will take care of the girl."

Severus needed no further prodding. He raced out of the room and down the corridor, eyes searching every few feet for the boy. Half an hour – he could be anywhere.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been lying there on the floor, but her body ached and hurt everywhere – from the curse and the cold, unyielding stones.

Aurora pushed herself into a sitting position – crying out as her body protested. She pressed her back against the wall and drew in deep gulps of air.

There – there was a sound just outside.

"HELP!" She screamed. "HELP, I'M IN HERE!"

The door began to open. She kept screaming, her heart leaping into her throat.

" _Crucio!_ "

Her cries for help became screams of pain as David quickly shut the door behind him. He levitated her off the ground, away from the wall, then propelled her across the space of the room, slamming her into the wall on the far side.

Her head slammed against the stone, her thoughts a blur.

Something had made him angry. And he seemed determined to take it out on her as he levitated her again.

* * *

Malichi pressed a glass of fire whiskey into Severus's hands. Severus was staring into the fire in his office, his knuckles white on the glass.

Another fruitless search had been undertaken. More hours wasted with nothing to show for it.

"We had him," he whispered. It seemed to be all he'd been able to say for the last twenty minutes.

"We couldn't be sure," Malichi answered again, playing his part in this repetition.

Severus threw the glass against the fireplace, paying no mind to the shards that flew up to graze his skin.

"Feel better?" Malichi asked archly.

Severus turned his eyes on him, an agonizing movement.

Malichi's gaze softened. "There's been no change in her wand. There's still time. We'll find her, son."

"How? We've searched every known location on the grounds. She's not in any of them. Where else would you have us look?"

 _Look_. The word leapt at him, teasing the edge of his thoughts.

"The Aurors are here, set to watch all of the entry and exit points."

 _Watch_. Severus seized Malichi's arm. "I'm a bloody fool," he hissed, yanking open the drawer to his desk and rummaging through the mountain of confiscated Weasley Twins paraphernalia until he found the Looker.

Praying that Aurora was still wearing her Watcher, he cast the spell.

* * *

David had stopped talking some time ago, and were it not for the pain, Aurora would have thought she'd imagined him coming back at all.

"My sister should be dead by now," he said, the edge still in his voice. "She should have been dead this morning."

The sudden sound of his voice startled her, and she twitched, much to his amusement.

"You hadn't forgotten I was here, had you? I can make sure that you _don't_ forget if you like."

Another jolt of pain, another scream. As it subsided, she felt a strange tingling against her chest. Not wanting to drawn attention to herself, she scratched the top of her pajamas in an absent manner, trying to find the source of her discomfort.

Her hand brushed across a hard, round object, and her heart raced as she realized what it was. She dropped her hand back onto the floor, trying anxiously not to let her excitement show. The necklace which held the Watcher was still around her neck. She'd not taken it off since she'd been poisoned. Now its tingling could mean only one thing: somebody was using the Looker.

"You killed Erin," she said flatly. "Why?"

"She never did like the idea of hurting you, not after she met you on the train," he said, disgust evident in his voice.

"You never had that problem, though, did you?"

"You make it easy to want to hurt you," he snapped. "I might have let you go after I watched Snape squirm, after they took him to Azkaban for killing Hobbs. But my sister interfered, and now all that's left is the pleasure of seeing his face when he finds your mangled body and realizes this is all his doing."

Fear chilled her even more than the stone floor had done. Maybe if she kept him talking, it would give the person watching – her father, she assumed—the time to get to her, to save her.

"So you're going to give yourself up?" she asked.

"I want him to know it was me," David said. "You should have seen his face when he realized it was me, and I'd bested him again. Invisibility potions are dead useful, but they're not particularly stable, so I couldn't stay as long as I'd have liked. If Erin had just died the first time, I could still be up there, relishing in his torment."

 _Up there_. So they were on one of the lower floors of the castle.

"Why keep me hidden? If you want to see his face, surely it'd feel better if you got to watch him as you kill me." There was a tremor in her voice that she didn't have to fake.

"Oh, I'm not stupid," David said. "I don't stand a chance against him if I go out there alone, even if I've got you as a shield. Besides, we're not done here. Not by a long shot."

He levitated her, and she winced as she braced for what was coming.

"Accidental." He whispered it, his voice filling the space. "That's what the official report said about my father's death. A rebounded killing curse from his own wand."

She heard his footsteps approach, his breath suddenly hot on her face. "But that didn't explain the other injuries. The broken bones –"

Aurora screamed as she felt her left forearm snap in two with an audible _crack_.

" – the gashes on his back – "

She didn't think she had the strength to scream as much as she did then, when what felt like a dozen talons dug into her back, shredding her pajamas.

Her head hung down onto her chest and she sobbed, unable to hold the tears at bay.

" – the bruises that covered half his body –"

Aurora was flung across the room again, landing next to the door, an agonized scream wrenched from her as her back hit the wall.

"He was tortured. By _your father_. And someone at the Ministry covered it up. But I found the report. The _real_ report. The one taken by the Aurors at the scene. And there was nothing accidental about it."

 _No. Father wouldn't. He_ couldn't _._

His breathing was heavy, rapid. "And it wasn't _quick_. I've often wondered how long that kind of abuse could go on. My father lasted only an hour before yours murdered him. If he'd had the luxury of time, could Snape have drawn it out for days?"

"What do you want from me?" she managed to gasp.

"I want you to suffer," he whispered, casting the Cruciatus Curse again.


	47. Escape

Severus closed his eyes as Aurora’s screams echoed through his office, his hands gripping the back of his desk chair, knuckles white.

It all came back to him. Again. 

He hadn’t known Pruitt had even _had_ children. But then, he’d never known much about Marie’s killer. Nothing except what Lucius had told him.

Lucius, who he’d forbidden from using torture to get information.

Lucius, who he’d nevertheless left alone with their prisoner while he gathered ingredients for a truth serum.

Lucius, who had broken Pruitt’s wand and cast the Killing Curse when the truth serum, rushed from necessity, had poisoned the man.

Lucius, who convinced Severus to say nothing about Pruitt’s broken bones in exchange for his own silence about the tainted serum – the serum that Severus could have brewed in his sleep.

Lucius, who had assured Severus he’d make sure the report didn’t mention the poison.

Lucius.

Had he orchestrated the whole thing to hide his own guilt?

From the Looker, they heard David cast another curse, heard Aurora’s agony again.

Severus’s body shook, glass jars around the room shattering with the force of his rage and anguish.

Malichi grabbed him by the arms and held him still. “Look at me, son.”

His eyes shot open; he was bordering on madness.

“She can’t survive this,” Severus said, his voice barely a whisper. “She’s only just recovered from the poisoning. Even if she were completely healthy – “ his voice broke, and he swallowed. “She doesn’t have days, Malichi. She barely has hours before –“ He gulped in air.

“We’ll find her,” Malichi said. “We can hear her through the Looker, which means any silencing charms he’s cast are on that room. We’ll go down every damned corridor blasting Finite Incantatem. And -” his voice softened, “- it’s past time Steven should be told what’s happening.”

He knew Malichi was right. The two of them had been more father to her than Severus ever had.

“Just keep him out of my way,” he said, not willing to admit out loud that he didn’t think he had the strength to look his brother in the eye and admit that he’d failed. Again.

“Nobody blames you, so-“

“ _I_ do,” Severus said sharply. “And anyone who doesn’t is blind.” He closed his eyes again as another of Aurora’s screams echoed off the walls, pounding his fist on the desk and swallowing the helplessness each cry caused to well up inside of him.

“Give that to me,” Malichi said, hand reaching for the Looker.

Severus yanked it out of his reach. His face paled as David cast another curse. “As long as she’s screaming, she’s alive.”

Aurora’s voice faded into a sob.

“Finite Incantatem,” Severus said, surprised by the strength of his words. “Tell the others. Send for Steven. I’ll start in the dungeons.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steven was awakened by a sharp tapping on the window of his Hawaiian hotel room. He blinked open his eyes and frowned. Kenoa, Severus’s eagle owl, was sitting on the ledge, illuminated by the streetlights below. He hurried over, tossing open the window, his heart in his throat.

Severus wouldn’t have written at this hour unless there was something wrong. He hastily untied the letter from the owl’s leg and unfurled the parchment.

_Steven:_

_There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just be blunt – you’re needed at Hogwarts immediately. The Ministry has spoken with the Macusa and arranged a portkey to be brought to your hotel._

_There isn’t time to explain in a letter. Just get here._

_Malichi_

Steven crumpled the note in his hand and darted down the corridor to Appleby's door and pounded on it, knowing full well that the stout manager would be furious at being awakened so early.

Malichi had written him. Using Severus’s owl, which meant he was already at Hogwarts. He felt a stab of anger at being the last to be let in on whatever was happening.

He pounded on the door again, and it swung open violently. Appleby glared at him, his robe askew and his gray hair sticking up in all directions.

"What is it, Steven?"

"I don’t have time to explain, but I need to go –“

" _Again_?"

"Yes. Immediately."

Appleby's eyes narrowed. "You recall what I wrote you the last time you left?"

"Of course."

"The same applies now. If you leave, I'll see to it that you don't ever cause these sorts of problems for any other manager, no matter what side of the ocean you're on."

Steven didn’t hesitate. "To hell with you and your threats, Appleby. You do whatever you feel you need to do, and I'll do what I know I need to do. And right now, I've got to get to Hogwarts."

Ignoring the stunned look on his manager's face, he ran back to his room to throw his things together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus wanted to vomit.

Through the Looker, David murmured healing incantations. This wasn’t a sudden change of heart. This was a tactic Severus knew all too well from his time with the Death Eaters.

Torture, heal just enough to keep them alive, and repeat until they told you everything you asked—and some that you didn’t. Until they begged you to kill them.

He’d nearly cleared the dungeons, casting Finite Incantatem with every few steps. But with the lack of much noise from the Looker, removing the silencing charm would be of little use. Merlin help him, he was almost hoping to hear her scream. He settled for calling her name out instead.

“Aurora!”

_Finite Incantatem_.

Walk forward.

Repeat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had blacked out, thankfully, and apparently that had spoiled David’s fun enough that he wasn’t torturing her for the moment.

Her cheek was pressed to the cool stones, leeching the stinging fire away from the bruising spread across her face.

She was going to die in this room, in the dark.

He must have noticed her breathing change. She was jerked into the air again, head lolling to her chest.

She had to get out. Had to fight back. Someone would find her, they _had_ to. The Watcher was still tingling against her chest.

Aurora licked her split lips, tasting blood in her mouth. She didn’t understand why he hadn’t cast any light in the room. If he wanted to see her suffering, why wasn’t he making sure he could see her?

Her mouth dropped open. Maybe he _didn’t_ want to see her. He was still just a kid – maybe that’s where his line was drawn. It was all well and good to torture someone so long as you didn’t have to see their face.

“Coward,” she rasped, her throat raw from screaming. “What’s wrong, Davey? Can’t bear to watch what you’re doing?”

She flew towards the door, feeling her nose break as it made contact, blood pouring down the front of her pajamas. He let her fall to the floor beside it.

The light from beneath the door taunted her. It was so close. If she could only get out –

“What’s this?” David knelt in front of her and grabbed the Watcher, which had fallen out of her pajama top, landing directly in the light from the door. _Lumos_.”

His face, twisted in suspicion, was illuminated by the new light. His wand was inches from her body as he turned the Watcher over in his hands.

She didn’t think, she just reached up and grabbed for the wand, her muscles screaming in protest. It wrenched from David’s hands and she saw his face register surprise as she screamed the full Body Bind curse – or rather, she screamed it in her head, and it came out in a breathy whisper. He fell face-first onto the floor, and she blasted him further away from her, clutching the wand.

The adrenaline of escape propelled her as she unlocked the door, crawling out and flicking the wand to move the bricks back into place. She cast the locking charm and every other ward she knew before leaning against it to take in her bearings.

Nothing looked familiar. It was a corridor in the castle, but she had no idea which one.

As she drifted through the haze of semi-consciousness, she heard her name being called.

“Here. I’m here,” she whispered into the empty air before she collapsed to the floor and into oblivion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the Looker, Severus heard himself, calling her name. He ran down the corridor, skidding to a halt as he fell to his knees beside her motionless form.

“Aurora.”

He held his breath, his ear to her mouth.

Nothing.

Her chest rose as she drew a gasping breath and went silent again, and he allowed a relieved cry to escape with his own breath.

Placing his arms beneath her, he cradled her to him, eyes scanning her for anything that was putting her survival in immediate danger.

She was covered in blood, her pajamas tattered.

But she was alive.

David had healed her wounds enough to prevent her from bleeding out before he’d finished with her, the only blood flowing now from her nose. Severus cast a healing charm, putting the whole nose back to rights and stopping the blood.

She seemed to breathe a little easier for it, and he had the urge to crush her to his chest and sit there for eternity.

But there was the boy to deal with, and Aurora needed to be in the hospital wing. His eyes went to the stone wall beside them.

Severus was alone. He could go in, show the boy what torture was –

_No_.

He wasn’t that man.

He wasn’t Lucius.

Still, a part of him wanted to blast through the wall and the boy both.

“Severus?”

Two pairs of thundering footsteps rushed towards him.

“Merlin’s beard. Aurora.” Steven’s voice was choked with emotion as he knelt beside his brother.

Malichi placed a hand on each man’s shoulder.

“Alive,” Severus managed to croak. He nodded to the wall. “The boy’s in there.”

Malichi approached the wall, wand drawn. Severus stared back at his daughter, unable to look at his brother.

“She took his wand,” Severus said, still looking at Aurora, wondering how she had mustered the strength after all David had put her through. “Took it and got herself out.”

Steven’s hand came into view, laid gently on Severus’s arm. “Of course she did. She’s your daughter, isn’t she?”

Severus chanced a glance up. There was no judgement in Steven’s eyes, no condemnation. Only a ragged relief, his eyes puffy and rimmed with red. Severus managed only to nod, not trusting himself to speak.

At the wall, Malichi muttered a spell and blasted the full Body Bind into the opening as it appeared, then rushed in after it, wand lit and raised for attack. A moment later he emerged. David, restrained with magical ropes, levitated in front of him.

Severus again had the urge to curse him into oblivion. Instead he stood, forcing his face into an inscrutable mask, Aurora cradled against his chest.

“How like your father, Cafferty. Devising a master plan and failing completely.”

David strained at his ropes. “You think you’ve won, Snape. But you haven’t. When the Dark Lord returns, he’ll reward those who were loyal, and punish the traitors. You’ll get what you deserve!”

More footsteps sounded in the corridor behind them. A familiar hand on Severus’s shoulder – Albus.

“I will take Mr. Cafferty to my office,” Albus said, nodding to Malichi and then turning back to face the staff members who had followed him. “Minerva, call for the Aurors. They will want to speak with him, I’m sure. You three,” he faced the trio of men, “should take Aurora to the hospital wing.”

Severus shoved his emotions into the pit of his stomach, shook his head, and handed Aurora off to Steven.

If it had been just Albus, just Malichi and Steven, he might have allowed himself the indulgence of showing his emotions. But half of the staff were in the corridor now, and he had appearances to maintain.

“I would like to be present when the Aurors question the boy,” he said.

“Severus, surely you want to be with Aurora,“ Steven said.

_Of course I do_ , he wanted to scream.

“You and Malichi will be with her, Steven,” he said, despite the roiling of his stomach. “Madam Pomfrey will take excellent care of her – I would be of little use.”

That much was true.

“It is more pressing that I accompany Albus, to better understand what happened.”

Disbelief etched across Steven’s face. And then – _There it is_. – Disgust.

It felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach. But it had to be done. For Aurora’s sake.

“Fine. When she’s conscious and asking about you, I’ll tell her you were too busy to sit at her side,” Steven snapped, striding away and toward the hospital wing.

Malichi followed, stopping briefly at Severus’s side. “You’ll be there afterward.”

It wasn’t a question and was delivered in a low growl that surprised him. Usually Malichi was quick to see through his facade.

He’d gotten good at this game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only once the last Auror had left, taking David with them, did Severus allow himself to slump into the chair in front of Albus’s desk. He covered his face with his hand, closed his eyes, and sighed.

Aurors had been dispatched to take Nicole Cafferty into custody, but no word had come back as to whether they’d been successful.

His fault. Every bit of it.

“There is no reason to be cruel, Severus,”Albus said, standing at the window. “To Aurora, or to yourself.”

“Cruel is allowing myself to be blindsided by this entire term’s events,” Severus said wearily. “The moment I knew that Aurora existed, I should have tracked down every member of Pruitt’s family and kept tabs on them. The boy should never have been able to take her.”

“You should be at her side –“

“To do what, exactly? Weep and moan, begging forgiveness? I don’t deserve it, and it would serve no purpose.”

Albus tilted his head, his face contorted into a mask of pity. “You didn’t leave her side when she was poisoned.”

“When she was still in danger and I could be of some use.” Severus opened his eyes and put his hand on the arm of the chair. He inhaled deeply, then met Albus’s eyes. “I thought she was dead,” he said, his voice low, allowing emotion to crack it. “When I found her laying in the corridor. The relief when I saw her chest rise –“ He shook his head and looked away.

“Severus -” Albus sighed. “Your skills as a Potions Master may not be needed, but I assure you that _you_ are. For Aurora, for Steven, even for Malichi. You are all each of you has left.”

That was true, at least.

“Malichi did make it clear that he expected me once we were through questioning Cafferty.”

“Then go. I’ll see to it that Poppy gives you your privacy.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malichi was talking in hushed tones to Madam Pomfrey and Steven sat hunched over Aurora’s bed, her hand clutched in his, blocking her face from view when Severus arrived.

Severus inhaled deeply then approached the group, prepared to weather their admonishments.

His breath caught as Aurora came into view. He’d heard her torture, seen the state she had been in when he found her, and knew better than most what magical healing could and could not do.

But the sight of her – face still puffy and bruised, arm in a sling, bandages wrapped over her torso – made him feel sick.

His fault.

He hadn’t intended to collapse under his emotions so readily, but he sank numbly into the chair across from Steven, his hand reaching out of its own accord to gingerly rest on the top of her head, his thumb gently gliding over her forehead.

“They’ve taken the boy?” Melison asked.

Severus felt the weight of the man move to stand behind him. He managed a nod, unable to look away from his daughter.

“It’s going to take some time,” Poppy said, standing next to Steven. “But she'll make a full recovery.”

He tore his gaze away, fixing a pained one on the medi-witch.

“Some damage we cannot see with our eyes,” he said quietly. “Scars that can never be healed.”

Poppy wiped a tear from her eye with her apron and nodded.

“I have removed every trace of Dark Magic I could find,” she said.

“Except –“ Steven's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Whatever he used to tear open her back – “

Severus's eyes slid to his brother.

Steven swallowed, tears looming at the edges of his eyes. “Poppy did what she could, but it's like raw meat, Severus. He must have ripped into her –“

“Six times,” Severus said, inhaling through his nose and turning back to Aurora. “He used Sectumsempra, six times.” His words were barely audible, but he heard Malichi's sharp breath behind him. “I might be able to repair some of the damage –“

“If you’re talking about your counter-spell, it’s been tried,” Malichi said.

Severus nodded, not surprised. “They have already been healed over, my counter was created based on open wounds.”

His brain began puzzling out possible solutions until he heard the door open. He took his hand off Aurora’s head and stood, his face stony.

“It’s only me,”Albus said softly. “The Aurors have returned from the Cafferty house. David’s mother had already fled.”

Severus clenched his fist at his side. It wasn’t over.

His fault.

No. Not entirely. 

“Albus – you saw Moody’s report from the night Pruitt died,” Severus said.

“Yes, I did.”

“What does that have to do with Aurora?” Steven asked, frowning up at them.

“Malichi can explain,” Severus said sharply, eyes still on Albus. “The _original_ report? Before he’d turned it in at the Ministry?”

Albus hesitated for a fraction of a second, but it was enough.

Severus swore. “So it’s true, what Cafferty said? About Pruitt’s torture?”

“It’s true,” Albus said. “Though I’d thought you were well aware of it.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but your brilliant mind got it wrong. I had no part in it.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Albus said. “But does it matter so very much to you now?”

“Yes,” Severus said darkly. “It matters _very_ much.”


	48. Endings

Severus Apparated to Malfoy Manor despite Malichi’s advice to wait until he’d calmed down.

He walked through the iron gate and the front door, summoning Lucius’s walking stick and wand as he entered the drawing room. Before Lucius could react, Severus pulled him up from his chair by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

“What the bloody hell?” Lucius’s lip curled up in confused irritation.

“You arrogant, selfish, reckless, _bastard_!” Severus held his wand to Lucius’s throat, his eyes locked on the other man’s.

“All true,” Lucius drawled, his voice steady despite the confusion – and slight fear – in his eyes. “But when has that bothered you before?”

“Pruitt.” He spat the name, and Lucius had the good grace to at least look guilty. “You made me believe you were helping me. If you’d left everything to me –“

“You’d have gotten nothing from him. As it was, we at least learned the reason behind his attack on Marie.”

“You let me think I’d poisoned him. You’ve been manipulating me since I was a first year, and now your damn bloodlust has nearly killed my daughter!” Severus pressed his wand deeper into his neck.

Lucius frowned, his eyebrows drawn together. “How – “

“Pruitt had a wife and children. Children who were raised despising _me_ , wanting to avenge their father’s death. Odd that as Pruitt’s son was torturing Aurora he never even mentioned your name. Now why would that have been, I wonder?”

He could kill him so easily, could say the words – the thought must have crossed Lucius’s mind as well. The normally level wizard was taking shallow breaths, eyes fixed on Severus’s own.

“Torture?”

“The same methods you used on his father, if the boy had his information correct. Except he didn’t have to hurry. He took his time.”

Lucius’s face went white. “Severus, had I known –“

“You knew.” The tip of his wand was at the base of Lucius’s throat. With a bit of pressure, he wouldn’t even need a spell.

“No. Not of this. I was – _am_ – the Dark Lord’s most devoted servant, there is no secret in that. Pruitt’s wife came to me for assistance, and I gave it.”

“And you never thought to warn me? You, who take every opportunity to proclaim us brothers?”

“I knew you could take care of yourself,” Lucius said, his voice turning icy. “And I _didn’t_ know you had a child to protect.”

Some of the anger faded from Severus’s eyes and Lucius placed his hand Severus’s chest, pushing him back so that his wand no longer dug into his throat.

“A widow with two small children was no threat to you, Severus. And she was placed where she would do some good for us. Obviously, if I had known of Aurora, I would have handled things differently.”

Severus shook his head. His blind rage had cooled, but his contempt had not. “No. You wouldn’t.”

He let the walking stick clatter to the floor and walked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malichi was waiting at the top of the path from Hogsmeade when Severus returned, and handed him a steaming cup of chocolate.

Severus arched a brow.

“It’s been a hellish day, son. It'll do you good. And keep your wand from freezing in this blasted cold,” he muttered.

Severus accepted the mug and took a swallow, choking at the unexpected burn in his throat. He smirked, taking another long drink, savoring the spirits Malichi had laced it with. He should have known it wouldn’t have been straight chocolate.

“Did you leave him alive?” Malichi asked quietly as they began the walk back to the castle.

“Of course I did,” Severus snapped, annoyed despite knowing how close he’d come to that not being true. “I am not a murderer, however much I would like to see Lucius Malfoy, just once, receive half the retribution his actions warrant.”

“And your connection with him? Have you finally seen fit to sever it?”

He wanted to say yes. But Albus bloody Dumbledore would have other ideas. That didn’t mean nothing could change.

“I made it clear that I will not be his pawn any longer,” Severus said instead, finishing his spiked chocolate.

Malichi let out a huff of disappointment, the breath floating past Severus's face as though it wanted to make sure he understood the sound.

“I’m sure that cut him deeply,” Malichi said, his words biting more than the wind.

Severus said nothing.

This damn game was exhausting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stopped at Erin’s bed when they got back to the hospital wing. Malichi paused with him, tilting his head in question.

A stab of anger pulled his mouth into a scowl. She had been part of the torment Aurora had experienced over the term, but if it hadn’t been for her intervention that morning, Jamie would be dead and he’d be in a cell in Azkaban.

He wanted to forget about her, to not think about how like Aurora she was – too young to have had to endure the hell her family put her through.

“Her mother will end up in Azkaban,” he said to Malichi. “I don’t believe the Aurors will find the girl culpable. She will need somewhere to go.“

“Dumbledore has already started sending inquiries,” Malichi said. “She will not fall by the wayside.”

Severus nodded curtly. “And her recovery? Did you identify the poison used?”

“He stuck with Moonseed. Not one for imagination, apparently. Since we caught it much sooner than Aurora’s and were able to administer the draughts – she’s already resting comfortably. She’ll be awake in the morning.”

“Good,” he said quietly, looking down at Erin again. He turned and walked to the end of the ward, where Aurora’s bed had been screened from view.

Steven looked as though he hadn’t moved. So did Aurora. 

As it had before, the sight of her bruised face and bandaged body leeched the strength from him. Malichi put a steadying hand on his shoulder.

“Steven, you said you hadn’t eaten,” Malichi said. “Severus and I haven’t had anything all day. Why don’t you and I go down to the kitchens and see about putting together some food? She’s stable,” he reminded him when Steven looked up in alarm. “And she’s sedated. She won’t be awake for quite a while.”

Steven looked back at Aurora and then stood, reluctantly releasing her hand. His eyes met Severus’s.

He seemed to be forgiven for his earlier absence.

“She rests easier if you hold her hand,” he said, clearing his throat.

Severus didn’t point out that she’d been given both calming and sleeping draughts and would be resting easily whether he had her hand or not. Instead, he slipped into the same chair he’d been in earlier and put his hand over hers. She didn’t so much as twitch.

But Steven looked satisfied, and it was enough to get him out the door, Malichi trailing behind him.

Once they’d gone, Severus allowed his shoulders to sag. He kept one hand over Aurora’s and placed the other as he had before, resting on her hair, thumb lightly stroking her forehead.

For a while he sat there, mustering only enough strength to perform the repetitive motion.

Finally, he found his voice. “Your mother would be proud of you,” he murmured with a melancholy smile. “You didn’t give up. You fought back, and you saved yourself.” He cleared his throat. “ _I’m_ proud of you.”

Her finger twitched beneath his hand. He knew it was an unconscious reflex and not a response to his words, but that didn’t stop his breath from catching and his fingers closing around hers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly two in the morning when Severus allowed Malichi to pull him away from her bedside.

“You’ve classes to teach,” Malichi said. “And from what I hear, you’re hard enough on those students when you’ve had adequate sleep.”

“You expect me to stand in a classroom while Aurora is laying here?”

“It will keep your mind occupied. We will take it in turns, sitting at her side. This way, we can all get some rest. Come on. Up you get.” Malichi took hold of Severus’s elbow, lifting him from the chair as though he were an invalid.

It sounded fine. It sounded logical.

Severus hated it. He knew Poppy was keeping Aurora in this potion-induced state until her body had been given enough time to heal, knew that it would be the better part of a week before she’d even be aware of who was at her side. And stepping away would also give him the time to focus on working out the specifics of the healing counter that could reduce or even eradicate the scarring on her back.

From a spell he created. 

“Perhaps you are right,” he muttered.

“I’ll stay with her tonight,” Steven said. “I’m still on Hawaiian time, and I haven’t been worn out from worrying for eighteen hours.”

This last was said with clipped tones, and Severus narrowed his eyes. “How selfish of us, to have focused on finding Aurora instead of considering your feelings.”

Malichi put a hand out. “Son –“

Severus brushed it away as Steven stood up.

“Kenoa found me easily enough,” Steven said. “I should have been here, helping.”

“But of course,” Severus said, jaw clenched, “If _you_ had only been here, she’d have been found in mere minutes.”

“That’s not what I said! You and your damn jealousy – in one breath you claim affection, wanting to be close to her, and in the other you shove her as far from you as possible. Make up your mind, for Merlin’s sake!”

“Children!” Malichi’s voice boomed over the brothers’, ceasing their argument. His face clearly showed his disgust. “I’d have thought even the two of you would have realized the crassness of arguing over a sickbed.” He tugged on Severus’s arm and pushed him towards the door. “Out. I’ll speak to you in a moment.”

Severus bristled at his tone. He was not a schoolboy under Malichi’s supervision, to be ordered about.

Malichi’s face wore a thunderous look of anger, one Severus had seen only twice before. Snatching his cloak from the back of the chair, he stormed from the room.

Insolent.

Irritating.

 _Justified_ , he admitted grudgingly. 

But that didn’t mean he was going to stand in the corridor like a first year waiting to be reprimanded. He went down to his quarters, still seething from Steven’s words.

Anger drained from him as he stood in the doorway of Aurora’s room. Her schoolbag had been tossed onto her bed, the contents spilling out over the blankets. He bent over and began putting things away, his hand lingering on her last Potions assignment.

Nearly twice the length he’d asked for. As usual. His lips twitched upward as he stuffed the paper into the bag and closed it, lifting it and putting it on top of her trunk. He sat on the edge of the mattress and idly smoothed a crease from her blankets, his hand brushing against her pillow.

An overwhelming sense of regret weighed him down, pressing his frame to the bed. He closed his eyes to try and block it out.

When he opened them, the room had brightened – the morning sun was filtering through the window, a shaft of light falling onto his face.

He must have fallen asleep.

In the outer room, he heard Malichi shuffling around and he sat up, running a hand through his hair.

Aurora’s alarm clock read 7:15. He had just enough time to bathe and change before breakfast, with a stop by the hospital wing before the bell rang for his first class.

He headed to his own room, stopping when he saw the door was standing open. Malichi emerged, fresh robes on, Severus’s annotated copy of the latest edition of _Healing Hexes_.

“I’ll get a start on the solution to those scars,” Melison said, waving the book in air.

“What were you doing in my room?”

“Sleeping.” He pointed to the armchairs. “Sit. We’ve an overdue chat.”

“If you’re so keen on lecturing me, you’ll have to do it on your feet,” Severus said. “I don’t have the time—”

“ _Sit_ ,” Melison repeated, his eyes glittering. “You have time enough for this.”

He sat, annoyed with himself for giving in so easily.

“This baiting of your brother. It stops now.”

“I spoke only the truth –“

“Bollocks. It’s ridiculous the way the two of you bicker over Aurora’s loyalties. I note you never seem to mind her closeness to _me_.”

“Because you don’t throw it into my face at every opportunity,” Severus said.

“Because I’m not her favorite,” Malichi said. “Steven is her playmate, Severus, not her father. He has never raised his voice to her, never denied her anything. Of course she is going to favor him. But you and I, we give her boundaries, teach her that her actions have consequences. It doesn’t mean that Steven’s love is greater than ours, or ours greater than his.”

Severus sniffed. “To hear him tell it –“

“ _Enough_.” Malichi’s voice held an edge, a heavy sigh escaping. “You’re not children any longer, you’re grown men. It’s time you behaved as such. The last thing Aurora needs when she wakes is the two of you at each other’s throats. I’ve told Steven the same thing.”

Severus scowled, then stood. “If you’re through chastising me, perhaps you’ll allow me access to my clothes?”

Malichi sighed and gestured to the room. Severus swept past him and went to his wardrobe, annoyed when the other man appeared in the doorway.

“One thing more. It wasn’t Steven’s influence that gave her the courage to take that boy’s wand when she barely had strength to move. It sure as hell wasn’t mine, either. As much as Steven and I have raised her, she is still _your_ daughter.”

Severus’s back straightened as he retrieved a clean set of robes. He turned and met Malichi’s eyes. “A cruel thing to foist on any child,” he said evenly.

Malichi’s body shifted, his head tilting to the side, an impatient breath releasing from his throat.

“Well, it can’t exactly be taken back, son,” he said sharply. “This term has been hell for you both – for all of us. But as much as you might deny any connection, it’s brought the two of you closer. Maybe even closer than I thought might ever be possible. Don’t waste it, eh?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malichi’s chastisement meant Severus didn’t have time to go to the hospital wing before classes. It put him into an even fouler mood than he’d been in, and he found himself snapping at the students more than usual, even for him.

By lunch, his nerves were raw. His irritation had caused no less than four students to explode their cauldrons over the course of the morning, every one of them bursting into tears when he descended on them.

He went up to the hospital wing after lunch, during his free period. Malichi was at Aurora’s side, one hand over hers, reading aloud from _Healing Hexes_ and muttering to himself. As Severus watched, he set the book down and scratched out a few notes on a piece of parchment.

He glanced up when Severus approached the bed. “No change,” he said, turning back to the book.

“I didn’t think there would be.” Severus’s gaze flicked to Erin’s bed. “And Miss Cafferty?”

“She woke an hour ago, but she was too agitated to allow anyone to speak with her. Poppy had to give her a sleeping draught to calm her. It’ll wear off after dinner. Albus has notified the Aurors – they’ll be here when she wakes.”

Severus took the chair opposite Malichi, suppressing a growl. Nothing had changed, except the bruises on Aurora’s face had darkened, mottling from blue to purple. Still, the sight of them brought back the panic of the day before and the sinking uncertainty of having Nicole Cafferty in the wind.

She’d try again; she had nothing left to lose. But she was also on her own now.

Unless she found help.

And he had plenty of enemies.

He brushed a stray hair from Aurora’s face, then nodded to the paper in Malichi’s hand. “Anything in that I can get started with?”

Malichi handed it to him. “Perhaps. I don’t think a counter-curse is going to be helpful. There’s a new text by Milton Baston that might be helpful.”

“ _Everlasting Elixirs?_ I have it in my office,” he said in response to Malichi’s nod. He looked over the notes, shaking his head. “I agree. Baston might be a better resource.”

The door opened, Poppy’s voice drifted through the ward. “She’s not awake yet –“

Severus stood to confirm his suspicions. Kim and Basil were standing in the doorway, trying to persuade Poppy to let them visit.

“It won’t hurt to let them in,” Malichi said quietly.

Severus grudgingly agreed. He handed the parchment back to Malichi and strode to the door.

“It’s fine, Poppy,” he said, passing a gaze over the pair. “Malichi is still with her. If they get out of hand, he’ll deal with them.”

“A few minutes,” Madam Pomfrey allowed. Kim was already hurrying through the ward, pausing at Erin’s bed.

“Thanks, Professor Snape,” Basil said before catching up to Kim. They whispered for a moment, then moved on to the corner where Aurora was.

“I’ll thank you not to undermine me, Severus,” Poppy said, lips in a thin line.

“They’ll hardly disturb her, Poppy.”

“Did it occur to you that it was _them_ I was concerned with?” she asked.

Severus blanched.

“Obviously not,” she said dryly. “Perhaps you should stick to Potions and leave the hospital wing under my care.” She swept away in a huff.

Severus arched a brow and made his way down to the dungeons to look through _Everlasting Elixirs_.

By the time his next class started, he had the beginnings of an experiment in mind. He was worse with his afternoon classes than he’d been with the morning, wanting to be rid of them in order to get started. When the bell rang to end class, he shooed them out the door and gathered the ingredients and his logbook, his hand hovering over a well-used collapsible cauldron.

He hadn’t had much call to use it since he’d had full access to the Hogwarts facilities, but he’d hung onto it, because it had been a gift from Lily, on his thirteenth birthday. It had sat, unused, since Severus had taken the post, and after her murder, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to touch it. If the house elves weren’t so thorough, it’d have ten years’ worth of dust atop it. His hand lowered onto it, eyes closing.

 _It’s just a damn cauldron_ , he chided himself.

But it was more than that. It was a reminder of who he had been, what he had already lost.

_What about what you’ve still got?_

He squared his shoulders and grabbed the bloody thing, carrying all the supplies to the hospital ward.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Poppy asked when he entered, her hands on her hips, lips turned down into a frown.

“I need to experiment –“

“Not in my hospital, you don’t.”

“I’ll set it up in the corner, by Aurora’s bed, and I’ll take it with me when I go.”

“I’ve smelled some of the potions you experiment with, Severus Snape, and I’ll not have that wafting around while I have sick children to tend to!”

“I’ll put up fume charms if I need to, Poppy.” He walked past her, growling with impatience when she hurried to head him off again.

“Some of those experiments of yours have been known to explode. It’s not safe –“

“Madam Pomfrey?” Erin’s voice stopped the medi-witch mid-tirade. Severus looked on as Poppy rushed over, helping her to sit up.

“There, dear. Have a sip of water, that’s it. How are you feeling?”

Erin didn’t answer, her eyes glued to Severus’s face. They were wide, innocent.

“Is Aurora – did you find her?” she whispered.

He nodded once. “She’s at the end of the ward.”

“I’ll go and get some Fortification potion,” Poppy said, giving Severus a warning glance as she turned away from Erin. “See that you don’t upset her, Professor.”

“I didn’t want her to get hurt,” Erin said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“We know.”

“It was David. I tried to talk him out of the whole thing, but he wouldn’t listen. He was so angry –“

“If you work yourself into a crying jag, Madam Pomfrey will have my head. The Aurors have taken your brother. We’re aware of the part you both played.”

Erin bit her lip and looked away. “Are – are the Aurors coming back for me?”

“Now that you’re awake, yes – to ask questions.”

Her face paled.

“Professor Flitwick will be here, as your head of house, to ensure things remain civil.”

“Will you – I mean, are you going to be asking questions?”

“If you’re asking whether I intend to interrogate you, Miss Cafferty, the answer is no. I believe I understand what has occurred here.” He pursed his lips and sighed, lowering his voice. “You should know that your mother has not been apprehended. The Aurors have not been able to track her down. If you have any idea where she might be –“

“I have several,” Erin said at once, her eyes shining with anger.


	49. Balms

Erin provided the Aurors with half a dozen locations, but her mother failed to turn up at any of them. As the days dragged by, and Nicole remained at large, the castle buzzed with rumors.

Aurora’s friends found themselves bombarded with questions in the corridors between classes, at mealtimes, and even in their common rooms. They, like their professors, had given the headmaster their word that they would not add substance to any of the gossip.

Severus appreciated Albus’s insistence on keeping quiet, and though every one of his students knew that something had happened with his daughter, none of them dared approach him to ask about it.

Which was probably saving some students’ lives, the way his mood degraded as the week stretched on.

Friday arrived after what seemed an eternity, and Severus thanked Merlin that the end of the day marked the start of the Easter Holidays. The castle wouldn’t be nearly as empty as it was during the Christmas break, but he’d be relieved from his daily teaching duties and allowed to focus on the healing elixir for Aurora’s scars. He’d brewed six variants in as many days, and hadn’t been able to bring any of them to the testing stage.

Harry Potter and his friends were glaring at him more than usual. He doubted it had anything to do with Aurora – the three Gryffindors had visited her only once, with Ron stopping by Erin’s bed just long enough to say an awkward hello before she burst into tears and told him to leave. Severus was glad it was Malichi who had been there and not him.

“Miss Cafferty,” he growled as he passed by her bed that afternoon.

Erin gave him a weak smile and pulled the book she was reading up to hide her face. Severus noted that the area around her cot was bare. No cards from well-wishers, no boxes of chocolate frogs – no sign that anyone outside of the ward knew – or cared – that Erin was there.

He knew she’d had visitors—Basil and Kim came every day to sit with Aurora, and stopped by Erin’s bed each visit. They tried to talk to her, but after the first day of awkward fidgeting, Erin just feigned sleep when she knew they’d be coming up.

Aurora’s bedside table, in comparison, was sagging under the weight of cards and gifts. It seemed, despite their best efforts, word had gotten around the school about what had happened over the weekend.

Severus set up his mobile lab in the corner as he’d done every night that week, then turned to Malichi, hand outstretched for the notes his old professor insisted on going over. Poppy had made it clear that she’d bar them both from the ward if Malichi began experimenting bedside as well.

“Perhaps the ratio of belladonna should be increased,” Malichi said. “In conjunction with the nettles.”

Severus shook his head, looking at the calculations Malichi had done in the margins. “That much belladonna would incur unwanted side effects. Too risky.”

“Add a ground bezoar, then.”

“That would negate the extra belladonna. I may as well not add it all.” He froze, and Malichi smirked.

“Take out the belladonna,” they said in unison.

Severus turned to the cauldron and began portioning his ingredients, head jerking up when a low moan came from behind him.

Malichi was on his feet, leaning over Aurora. His head turned to Severus as the younger man approached.

“I’ll fetch Poppy,” Malichi said, straightening and hurrying down to the matron’s office.

Aurora’s eyes were still closed, but her eyebrows were pulled into a sharp v, the corners of her mouth trailing to her chin.

Severus slipped his hand over hers, and his heart stopped when her fingers closed around his. He put his other hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair.

“You’re safe,” he murmured, his voice barely audible even to himself.

Her grimace eased, but she let out another whimper, her eyes racing behind her eyelids, which remained stubbornly closed.

And then Poppy was opposite him, tutting as she examined Aurora.

“I’d have liked her to have another day or two to mend, but she’s fighting against it, poor dear.” She pulled a phial from her robes. “Lift her head back, Severus – there.” Poppy opened Aurora’s mouth and poured the contents of the phial into it.

Severus felt Aurora’s body relax, her fingers falling slack against the bed.

“Calming draught,” Poppy said, slipping the bottle back into her pocket. “At this rate, she’ll be fully alert tomorrow.”

He nodded and straightened, turning to catch Malichi’s eye. They were no longer alone. Erin stood at the edge of the privacy screen, her arms wrapped around herself. She bit her lip as she stared at Aurora’s inert form.

Malichi tilted his head almost imperceptibly to the girl. Severus knew what he was hinting at, but he stubbornly pursed his lips.

Malichi shook his head then turned to Erin. “She enjoys people talking to her,” he said quietly. “Her breathing changes when she hears voices.”

Erin took a step backward and shook her head. “Not mine. She wouldn’t want to hear mine.”

She was back in her bed, a blanket pulled over her head before any of the adults could respond.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly there. In another hour, he’d be able to test it.

But he needed a subject other than Aurora.

Severus pushed the sleeve covering his right arm up to his elbow. He’d thought about doing this on his left forearm, trying to scratch out the Dark Mark that was still faintly visible.

But visible meant Voldemort wasn’t gone, not entirely, and he’d need that mark to be unmarred, preserved as though he cherished it.

His wand hovered over his forearm, unsteady in his left hand. He’d considered having somebody else cast the curse—it’d be easier—but he knew anyone he asked would try to talk him out of it. He had neither the patience nor the inclination to listen to a lecture. What he needed was to make sure there would be no adverse effects from the elixir. And to do that, he needed the same conditions.

Gritting his teeth, he cast Sectumsempra, his fingernails digging into his palm as the pain shot up his arm, the gash weeping blood.

He cast a healing spell to stop the bleeding, took a deep breath, and cast again.

Heal.

Cast.

Repeat.

He leaned back in his chair, gasping for breath after casting the sixth healing charm.

A bottle of numbing potion was in his pocket. He didn’t reach for it.

The pain felt like retribution. A small pittance against his seemingly endless debt.

He deserved it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora licked her lips and swallowed, her eyes fluttering open before closing again. It took a few minutes to get them to lift and stay there, and she swallowed again, releasing a shuddering breath.

Her back was on fire. She tried to shift position in her bed, but a pair of hands pressed down on her collarbone to keep her in place.

It was too dark; she couldn’t see who was holding her. Had David pulled her back into the room? Her heart was racing, her breathing erratic.

“You’re safe.” Her father’s voice cut through the darkness, attached to the strong hands. “ _Lumos_.”

A lamp beside her flickered to life, and she could see him, features pinched with concern, eyes scanning her face.

She looked down to his right arm – the sleeve was unbuttoned, the shirt and coat rolled halfway up to his elbow. He followed her gaze and quickly pulled the fabric back down to his wrist.

“Stay still.” His voice was low, but it echoed through the quiet of the ward. “I’m going to fetch Madam Pomfrey. If she clears it, you can sit up.”

Tears squeezed out of the corners of Aurora’s eyes. “My back. It feels – it feels like a hundred bee stings –“

“I know.” He moved his hand to the side of her face, thumb tracing her cheekbone. “Try to keep calm.”

“I just – I need to – get off it – “ she said, straining again to sit up.

Severus let out a soft whoosh of air but put one hand on the back of her shoulder, above the bandages and helped her sit up. She sighed in relief. With the pressure off, the pain was bearable. Her father drew in his breath and swore.

Her relief faded. “What’s wrong?”

“Lie down on your side.”

“Father?”

“You’ve reopened some of your wounds. Madam Pomfrey will need to change the dressing.”

He straightened to go, but she grabbed his hand, fear flooding her body. She couldn’t breathe. It was crazy. He was just going to the end of the ward to wake up the matron. He’d be gone for maybe five minutes. But she gripped his hand more tightly.

“Aurora, your back needs attention.” There was an edge of chastisement in his tone, but he didn’t pry his hand from hers.

“Please. It feels a bit better.”

“You’ve bled through your bandages and your pajamas. If we don’t address it now –“

“All right, I’ll take care of it.” Madam Pomfrey came around the privacy screen, giving Aurora a smile as she rounded the bed and pulled her blanket down to her waist.

Aurora gasped.

“E-erin?”

Her friend stood by the privacy screen. Was she a ghost?

Severus’s head turned. “Thank you, Miss Cafferty.”

Aurora struggled to sit up, earning a disapproving tsk from Madam Pomfrey and the full attention of her father again.

“You need to lie still, dear,” Madam Pomfrey said.

“But Erin – you’re not –“ Aurora choked on a sob. “David said he killed you.”

“Miss Cafferty is fine,” Poppy said. “And you can chat once we put you to rights again. Help her to sit, Severus. These bandages need to be removed completely.”

Once she was sitting, leaning forward slightly, her father’s hand on her shoulder to steady her, she was surprised at how heavy her head felt. She rested her chin on her chest, her head too heavy for her to hold up.

She winced as the final row of bandages were pulled away, the dried blood pulling at her raw wounds. But the cool air of the ward felt good against the burning.

Beside her, her father drew in a sharp breath and Madam Pomfrey made another _tsk_ behind her teeth. From the corner of her eye, Aurora could see Erin’s face, paler than a ghost.

~~~~

Severus hadn’t been in the ward when the bandages had been changed during the week, but he knew what they hid. Or thought he did.

His jaw clenched and he sucked in an involuntary breath as he looked at the wounds. Steven’s assessment that Aurora’s back looked like hamburger had been kind. There were so many criss-crossed gashes, it looked as though she’d be flayed. The wounds were puffy and red, seeping blood – and pus. The temperature in the ward seemed to drop twenty degrees. 

“This will take some time to clean up,” Poppy said softly. “We’re just going to have you lie on your stomach, dear. That’s it.” She held Aurora’s hair out of the way as they helped her onto her belly, her head turned to Severus.

Poppy gave him a meaningful look, then glanced to his experiment in the corner.

He shook his head. “Not yet. It stews for another – “ he glanced at his watch, “thirty minutes.”

“Well, we’ll just have to do what we can, won’t we?” She passed her wand over the lacerations, allowing a frown to slip onto her face. “Miss Cafferty, in the cupboard by your bed you’ll find murtlap oil and essence of belladonna. Bring them both to me, please.”

As soon as she was out of earshot, Poppy cast Muffliato on Aurora. “This isn’t from her straining to sit up, Severus.”

He took a shuddering breath and nodded. He’d thought the same thing. “The elixir, if it works, should draw out the vestiges of Dark Magic.”

“She may be better off going to St. Mungo’s. They are far better equipped to handle severe cases –“

“No. She’ll get better care from you, Poppy. You’re the finest medi-witch in Britain, and we both know it.”

“Got it there? Good, good, thank you.” Erin returned, holding out two large bottles to Poppy. Her eyes were glued to Aurora’s back.

Severus lifted Muffliato and reached for the phials and the stack of clean cloths that Poppy had conjured.

“I’ll take care of this,” he said, eyes focused on Poppy as he tilted his head toward Erin.

Poppy nodded and put her hands on Erin’s shoulders. “Murtlap and then belladonna,” she said, before steering Erin back to her own bed.

He conjured a bowl and poured out a bit of the murtlap, wadding up a cloth and dipping an end into the liquid.

“This will be painful,” he said, hand hovering over the first weeping wound.

“Okay.” Aurora’s voice sounded tiny, but he saw her grip the mattress, the muscles in her back tensing as she braced herself.

He touched the cloth to her back as gently as he could, flinching as she flinched.

But she didn’t cry out.

It took an agonizing twenty minutes to clean out every laceration.

“Well done,” Severus said, squeezing Aurora’s shoulder. Her face was white, fingers digging into the mattress. “The belladonna should provide some relief.”

She nodded weakly, burying her face in her pillow.

He placed the bowl of murtlap on the cart at the foot of her bed, beside the pile of bloodied cloths, then conjured a new bowl and prepared the belladonna, tossing in several cloths to soak up the potion.

“Really, this is most unorthodox!”

Severus frowned as Poppy’s voice drifted down from the end of the ward. He pulled out the first cloth, wringing it out just enough so that it wasn’t dripping, and placed it over Aurora’s back. Her muscles relaxed, her fingers unclenching.

He looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps heading his way, Poppy’s hurried light ones right beside.

“Mr. Malfoy, I must insist that you leave at once!”

Severus’s body tensed as Lucius came into view. The irritated look on the older man’s face relaxed as his gaze went to the prostrate form on the bed. Lucius’s eyes hardened, his jaw taut. Severus placed a second damp cloth over the remaining wounds, then turned.

“Get out.”

“A word, Severus.”

Lucius’s eyes kept straying from Severus’s face to Aurora’s back, and Severus felt himself getting angrier.

“We’ve had our words. Leave.”

“Five minutes, Severus. Please.”

Severus narrowed his eyes. Lucius’s words didn’t have their usual note of condescension. They sounded – genuine. And he’d said ‘please’.

“Wait in the corridor,” he snapped. “I’ll be out when I’m through here.”

Lucius bristled at the order but went. Without argument. Severus’s frown grew.

He turned back to Aurora. The wounds had soaked up the belladonna, leaving the first cloth dry and almost brittle to the touch. He put it back into the mixture and replaced it with a fresh one, repeating for the second cloth.

“I’ll finish this,” Poppy said, reaching for the bowl. “Go on.”

“No. He’ll wait.”

It was another twenty minutes of swapping out used cloths for fresh ones before they bound the wounds again and helped Aurora to sit up against her pillows.

Severus waited until she was settled comfortably before stepping out to the corridor.

It was empty. He sniffed, turning to go back in.

“I’m here.” Lucius emerged from a shadowy doorway, approaching Severus, his face inscrutable.

“What do you want?” Severus’s anger hadn’t abated; it was rising again even now from only looking at Lucius.

“I thought it might interest you to know,” Lucius said. “I’ve found Nicole Cafferty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am looking for a beta reader or two who is willing to read chapters as they're about to be posted to help spot inconsistencies, errors, and plot holes. For this as well as Before Harry Met Sevy. Send me a PM if you're interested!


	50. Mea Culpa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in posting. And sorry/not sorry about the length of this one! I probably should have split it in two, but here you go. And thanks be to to2llyuntraceable on FF.net, who beta'd the heck out of this chapter and helped me make it so much better. 

Aurora's head lolled back on her pillows. She closed her eyes and savored the blissful nothingness that spread through her body after Madam Pomfrey gave her a Numbing Solution.

"Ten minutes, dear."

Aurora opened her eyes. Ten minutes for what?

Erin was back at the edge of the divider, nervously biting her lip. Madam Pomfrey was gone.

Aurora's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching. Erin was safe. Not dead.

Erin burst into tears as Aurora stared. "I'm so sorry, Aurora! I didn't know he was going to do anything like – like _this_."

Aurora swallowed. She wasn't sure how to feel, what to believe. "David said…you were the one sending me the dreams?"

Erin's face fell even further. "And the warnings. I know they weren't enough. I should have fought harder, should have stopped –" she choked back the words, shaking her head.

Aurora squashed back her own tears. "Has everything since we met been fake? Getting close to me because you had to?"

"No! It started out that way, because I was so angry at Snape. For killing my dad, for making revenge the only thing Nicole cared about. I was ready to hurt him, and you, if we had to," she said quietly. "But then I met you on the train, and you were so _nice_. So normal. I tried to talk David out of it that first night. I _thought_ I'd talked him into just doing the dreams. And then, when we came back from Christmas, and you'd been poisoned –" her voice caught. She advanced towards the bed, her eyes pleading with Aurora to understand.

"I was furious. I tried to make him stop. I sent the warning, hoping you'd figure it out."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? My father, Dumbledore, Flitwick – anyone?"

Erin looked down at her slippers. "They're my family. They were all I had."

Aurora inhaled deeply. Erin was her best friend - she wanted to believe her, to trust her. But could she?

A tense silence settled over them. Finally, Aurora said, "I guess Father wouldn't have let you stay in the same ward if he thought you still wanted to hurt me." She cleared her throat as Erin's sobs receded, her eyes coming back up to meet Aurora's. In them, she saw regret, hope—she saw her best friend.

Aurora steeled herself against it. Why should she forgive her so quickly? Erin had stood beside her _every day_ all term, knowing what was happening, seeing what it was doing to Aurora, and now she was just supposed to hug her and say it was all okay?

"I'm glad David's plan didn't work, and that you're okay," Aurora said. "I don't want you dead. But—I don't trust you. I'm not sure I _can_."

The hope in Erin's face vanished. She averted her eyes again and nodded. "I understand." Then, more softly, "They took him to Azkaban, you know."

Aurora set her jaw. "Good. And Nicole, too?"

Erin resumed her lip biting. "They don't know where she is."

Aurora swore, a tendril of fear creeping up her spine.

Madam Pomfrey rounded the corner, frowning at Aurora's expletive use. "Back to bed, Miss Cafferty. Miss Snape needs her rest."

Aurora's eyes followed Erin until she vanished around the room divider. If Nicole was still out there, would she try to finish what David hadn't? Or would she have Erin do it for her?

* * *

"Where?" The word flew from Severus's mouth.

"Found may have been an overstatement," Lucius said. "But I've got several promising leads."

The hope that had risen in Severus's chest plummeted, along with any goodwill towards Lucius. His words were clipped when he spoke. "So tell the Aurors. Why bring it to me?"

"The last time someone attacked your family and escaped the Aurors, you were very keen on having any information the moment it came in. I thought perhaps you'd like to follow up – personally."

His eyes held Severus's, waiting, hopeful. But Severus wasn't in the mood to coddle him. He needed to get back to Aurora.

"I am no longer a reckless teenager, Lucius. If you have a lead, give it to the Aurors. That's their job."

"You trust them to finish this? She's slipped through their fingers once, and from what I've heard, they are no nearer to her than they were at the beginning of the week. They're inept, Severus. Do you really want to leave it up to the Aurors to take care of her?"

"Then by all means, Lucius, track her down yourself," Severus said. "Hand her over to the Aurors, get awarded a bloody Order of Merlin – I'm needed here, with my daughter."

He turned and stalked back into the hospital ward, pulling the doors shut with a satisfying _thud_ of finality.

* * *

Aurora closed her eyes against the assault of sounds from her friends all chattering excitedly around her.

"So glad that it's all over," Kim said.

Aurora felt the mattress give a bit as the other girl perched on the edge of it. She opened her eyes again.

Kim grinned. "And glad you're okay – both of you."

Erin sat in a chair as far from Aurora's bed as possible. Since Aurora's admission the night before that she didn't feel like she could trust Erin, her dormmate had stayed at her own cot. Basil had persuaded her to come and sit with them, but she had yet to say a word. She replied to conversations directed at her with a tight smile, her eyes darting to Aurora's every so often.

Now, when she did speak, her voice hushed, everyone's gaze focused on her. "It won't be over until Nicole's with David in Azkaban."

An awkward silence settled over the students.

"They'll find her," Jamie said. She'd been at the back of the group, also silent up to this point. Aurora shifted her gaze to her.

"Jamie, I owe you an apology. I was so sure you'd done it-"

"It's all right," she said. "I _did_ put the poison in your sleeping draught. And believe you me, I felt incredibly guilty. But then I really thought about it, and since I only did it because David had me under the Imperius curse, it wasn't actually me that poisoned you. It helps, a little," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just glad Erin fought hers off better than I did, or I'd be dead."

Aurora frowned, flicking her focus back to Erin. "What?"

Erin shifted uncomfortably on her chair. "It doesn't matter," she said.

"Thanks a lot," Jamie said, scowling.

Erin flushed. "I didn't mean—I'm sorry." She stood up. "I should just go."

"Erin, wait." Basil stood, his hand catching Erin's arm. She shook him off and left. The door of the ward closed with a _thud_.

Basil turned to Jamie, his head cocked to the side. Aurora didn't think she'd ever seen him look annoyed. But that's definitely the vibe he was giving off now. "You know that's not what she meant."

"Fine. I'll go apologize. But her brother _did_ try to kill me, you know."

"He tried to kill her, too," Aurora said.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them, the mood rapidly deteriorating. _Can anything be the same after this?_ Aurora thought. "Maybe you should all go. I'm getting pretty tired."

Kim squeezed her hand and stood up, linking her arm through Jamie's. "I'll help you find Erin. Madam Pomfrey's going to lose it if she finds out she just walked out."

Basil stepped aside to let them pass, then focused his warm brown eyes on Aurora. He didn't follow the girls, but waited until they heard the echo of the door closing before taking a few steps closer to Aurora's bed.

She sighed. Basil wanting to talk to her alone meant one thing. "Please," she said, holding up a hand to stop him before he could speak. "I'm too tired to hear a lecture about forgiveness."

He shrugged. "One thing I've learned about you, Aurora, is that you don't let other people tell you what to feel. So forgive her or don't. That's not up to me."

"Are you saying you forgive her?" Aurora said. "For standing there, laughing with us, pretending she was as scared as I was?"

"I know what it's like for your family to force you to do terrible things," Basil said, his eyes flicking to his shoes before focusing on her again. "Do I trust her like I did last week? No. I don't think any of us can. Do I forgive her? I don't know. I don't think it's a yes or no answer."

"It is," Aurora said, anger turning her face hot. "She's terrorized me all term."

"She sent you the warning letters. And the warning dream."

"She knew what was happening and didn't tell anyone," Aurora said, gesturing toward the door. "Okay, so she didn't know I was poisoned until after she got back. But she didn't turn David in, either."

"I know," Basil said, holding his hands up. "I know. But she fought off David's Imperius Curse that morning and smashed the poisoned Memory Restorative. She saved Jamie's life. And kept your dad out of Azkaban." He shrugged again. "And like you said, her brother tried to kill her, too. Twice. Seems like overkill if she was willing to do whatever he wanted, doesn't it?"

Aurora pursed her lips. This was all new information to her.

"Anyway," Basil said with a tight smile. "I'll leave you alone so you can get better and get out of here." His smile became less forced. "You've fallen _way_ behind on teaching me Muggle Magic."

Aurora sobbed. Basil's face fell, and he stepped forward, hands held toward her, uncertain what to do. "Geez, Aurora, I'm sorry. I was trying to make a joke."

She shook her head and wiped her tears, smiling at him. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "It was just—for a minute, things were _normal_. Thanks, Basil."

He squeezed her hand in return, but whatever he was going to say was stopped by the appearance of Malichi and Severus at the edge of the screen.

"I'll see you again tomorrow," Basil said, hurrying away.

Malichi arched a brow at her, a smirk on his face. "Well. Puppy love, is it?"

Aurora sighed and shook her head, nodding to a squat jar of a viscous amber substance in her father's hand. "What's that?"

Severus's eyes darted over her face, no doubt taking in the circles under her eyes—and the barely dried tears—and the sheen of cold sweat dotting her forehead.

"If seeing your friends upsets you in this way, I'll see to it that they aren't allowed back in," he said in lieu of answer. "I'm surprised Madam Pomfrey permitted it."

"They didn't upset me," she said wearily, closing her eyes for a moment. They were so _heavy_. She opened them again with great difficulty.

He let out a harrumph but held up the bottle. "I've made a tincture for your back. It won't heal your wounds instantly, but over time, you may even escape scarring."

Aurora swallowed and looked at the jar. She didn't care about the scarring right now. She just wanted the pain to go away.

Madam Pomfrey was allowing her a Numbing Potion every six hours, but it only lasted through four, if she was lucky. The other two hours were spent shifting uncomfortably, trying to turn over without also laying on her arm. Luckily, the bones had mended enough that the sling had been removed, but it was still tender.

"Can we try it now?" she asked.

"When we change your bandages."

Aurora made a dissatisfied grunt. "Madam Pomfrey just changed them before everyone came up. Can't we do it sooner than that?"

Malichi and Severus exchanged glances before her father focused on her again.

"How bad is the pain?" he asked. His voice was hushed, barely reaching her ears.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "She gave me a Numbing Potion at the same time. It doesn't hurt much right now."

"But it does hurt." His brows knit together in a v. "Did you tell Madam Pomfrey?"

"She's making me take like sixteen potions a day. I know there's nothing else she can give me."

"Oh, yes. In your eleven years of life, you've no doubt accumulated the same knowledge that comes with half a century of medi-witch training." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

The chastisement stung for its truth. Aurora let out a frustrated sigh. "I just thought—"

"No," Severus said. "You didn't. There's little point in being a martyr. If you're in pain, say something. Madam Pomfrey will do what she can."

"I'll fetch her," Malichi said. He patted Aurora's leg. "And we'll see about getting those bandages changed again."

Severus cleared his throat after Malichi left. "We haven't spoken about what happened. And I'm not saying we need to," he said quickly as Aurora's eyes widened. "Not right now. And I'm told there are leads on Nicole Cafferty, but until she is caught, any information David may have let slip could be invaluable."

"He didn't say much before you activated the Looker," she said. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. "That must have been after he found out Erin had saved Jamie's life."

She wanted him to deny it, to tell her that Basil had been wrong. His silent affirmation settled like a lead weight on her chest. Things were too confusing. Should she forgive Erin or not? "Father? Do you think—could Erin have been under the Imperius Curse all term?"

He studied her face, not answering for several moments. Finally, he gave a terse shake of his head. "No."

Aurora had expected the answer, but it stung just the same. If Erin hadn't been acting of her own volition, maybe forgiveness would have been easier. She sighed.

He turned the jar over in his hands, eyes focused on the potion as it moved within the container. "I'm sorry I failed to keep you safe."

Aurora frowned. "You gave me the Watcher. Without that, I don't know if –" her voice broke. She looked at him, remembering David's words about his own father. "Father, David said—well, you heard with the Looker. About Hector Pruitt. What was done to him—and me. Is it true?"

His eyes snapped to hers. He inhaled deeply. "He was tortured, yes."

She shrank backward, her breaths quickening. _No. It can't be-_

"But not by me."

Her heart slowed. She searched his face, but it was unreadable as ever. "But you knew."

"No. I allowed myself to believe—" He stopped speaking, then shook his head as if to clear his mind. "I should have. My ignorance makes me no less culpable. My failures are the cause of this injustice."

Aurora opened her mouth to tell him that he was wrong, that she didn't blame him for any of it, but Madam Pomfrey and Malichi appeared, and she wasn't able to get the words out.

"All right, dear. We'll give this a try, then, shall we? Up you get." Madam Pomfrey helped Aurora lean forward, removing the bandages.

Her father held her up, one hand on her shoulder, eyes boring into hers. Aurora tried to say with a look what she hadn't said with words, but his gaze didn't change. She sighed as the cool air hit the exposed wounds of her back.

There would be time to assuage his guilt later.

* * *

Blinding white light. Terrified screams echoing around her.

 _Her_ screams.

David's voice, laced with venom, calling out curse after curse.

Pain.

Aurora bolted up, releasing a cry of pain as she felt her back protest.

"Ra?" Her uncle's hand was on her arm, his forehead creased with worry. "What is it?"

She buried her face against his chest, ignoring the stabbing pain the movement caused. Steven laid a hand on the back of her head, his cheek resting against her hair.

"It was just a dream," he said. His hand smoothed her hair, his voice gentle, soothing.

Aurora's terror subsided; the hiccupping sob that had threatened to force its way from her throat dissipated. But she didn't move, relishing the familiar murmur of her uncle's voice. She could almost imagine she was in her bedroom at Spinner's End, still waiting to embark on the adventure of her first year at Hogwarts.

_Some adventure._

She allowed Steven to pull away, sniffing back the last vestiges of fear. His eyes searched her face. "Better?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"No. You have nothing to apologize for." His voice cracked. "Darling girl. You're bound to have a bad dream or two, after everything you've been through. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She spoke quickly, and his lips thinned.

"You sure?" He brushed her hair away from her forehead.

"Yeah. I'll be okay."

"Okay. Want to try to sleep again?"

At the thought of reliving her torture, Aurora shook her head. "Not quite yet. Tell me about your tour, please?"

Steven sighed. "You mean about my leaving it. There's not much to tell. You needed me here, so here I am. Wouldn't you rather have a game of wizard's chess? I'm sure I can round up some pieces."

"No chess," Aurora said. He was desperate to do anything but talk about himself. _Just like Father_.

She was startled by the realization. Until this year, she had always considered them polar opposites. Where her father was curt and moody, Steven was loquacious and cheerful. Severus preferred to be left alone, and Steven to be surrounded by friends and family.

But she'd spent too much time with her father these last eight months and had enough distance from her uncle to see they were remarkably similar.

"It isn't your fault," she said.

Steven's head jerked back. "What?"

"This. Me. Your being here wouldn't have made any difference."

"Ra—" His voice was strained, the smile slipping from his face. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Worry about getting well."

"I am. But you and Father both sit here and stare at me, and it's like I can feel the guilt pouring off you. I don't blame either of you and neither should you."

A sad smile returned. "Easier said than done, kiddo. When something happens to someone you love, you wonder what you could have done differently to prevent it. Sometimes you get lost in the 'what-ifs'. Come on, now. It's late, and you need to rest. Malichi will have my head if he shows up and you haven't slept all night."

He helped her settle back into her pillows. She grimaced as her back hit the mattress. The clock read half past two—just right for the Numbing Potion to be wearing off. The tincture her father had used earlier in the day hadn't made much difference in the pain department, at least not after an hour or so. And it was apparently too potent to use more frequently than once a day.

Steven looked at the clock, too. "Pain coming back?"

"It's not bad," she said. But she knew it would get worse. She turned onto her side, facing him. "Uncle Steven?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you just talk to me? Until I fall asleep, I mean."

"About what?"

"Anything. Stories about you and Father as children. Stories about you at Hogwarts. A word-for-word retelling of your stage act. Just so I can hear your voice. I think it'll help the nightmares."

"Of course, Ra." He smiled at her again, running his hand over her hair. "The first year I was at Hogwarts, I tried to tail your father everywhere. He had this group of friends, and they chose a couple of first years each school year to be in their clique. We'd grown apart since he'd gone to school, and I thought being in his group would be a way to get closer again."

"What happened?" Aurora murmured, her eyelids becoming heavy.

Steven chuckled dryly. "I didn't get picked. So I..."

Aurora didn't hear what he said next. She was already asleep.

The nightmare came instantly. She twisted back and forth, trying to wake up, to get out of the dream.

Then a new voice, one she didn't recognize, rose over David's spell casting. A woman's voice, angry and dripping with venom.

_"You'll get what you deserve, girl. You and your traitor of a father. I'm not even close to finished with you yet."_

* * *

Severus walked up to the hospital wing with Malichi in the morning, allowing a seed of hope that Lucius's leads on Cafferty would pan out sooner rather than later. At the very least, Aurora was out of immediate danger.

But when they opened the door, instead of the normal calm of the wing, they were met with cries of terror coming from Aurora's cot. Severus was at the end of the ward in a shot, eyes scanning over the scene.

Steven, desperately trying to calm Aurora down; Madam Pomfrey looking _frazzled_. Severus had never seen her calm disappear so thoroughly. Aurora screamed, fat tears rushing down her face.

"Thank Merlin," Steven said, looking at his brother. "Severus, we don't know what's happening. She's not saying a word—"

"Move aside." Severus took Steven's place, leaning over Aurora, a hand on each of her shoulders. She looked right through him. He shuddered. "Give her a Calming Draught, dammit!"

"She's had _three_ ," Poppy said. "I've never seen anything like this, Severus."

"Three? Have they had any effect?"

"It's not a physical malady," Malichi said from the foot of the bed. He was gripping the bedframe, his skin ashen. "How long has she been like this?"

"About ten minutes," Steven said. He ran his hands through his hair, looking on helplessly. Silent tears dripped from his eyes. "Severus, _do something_."

Severus met Malichi's gaze, and Malichi nodded. _Not physical. All right._ He took a deep breath and cast Legilimens.

And _felt_ another presence in Aurora's mind. It recoiled when it sensed him, and Aurora's screams receded. He broke the spell, eyes scanning her face.

She shuddered, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"You're safe." _She shouldn't have to hear that every time she wakes up,_ he thought with a twist of anger. But she hadn't been asleep. Her eyes had been open. "What was it?"

Her hands clutched at his shirt, confusion furrowing her brow. "David. He was here, finishing what he started. You—" she looked around at the adults surrounding her bed. "None of you were here a second ago." Her chest was still heaving. Her eyelids began to droop.

Before they could get any more information from her, she was asleep, the result of the three Calming Draughts Poppy had already administered.

"Damn!" Severus straightened, his fists clenched at his side.

"What was she talking about?" Steven demanded. "It wasn't another nightmare, was it?"

"She had a nightmare?" Severus asked, eyes focused on his brother.

"Two. We were going to tell you when you came up. She thinks they were sent by Nicole Cafferty."

"Or her daughter," Severus said dryly. "Is Miss Cafferty in her dorm?"

"A first year would not be able to achieve that level of Legilimency, son." Malichi's words were raspy, his hands still wrapped around the bedframe. "That woman was in her mind, planting false images."

"How do we fight that?" Steven asked.

Severus and Malichi locked eyes. "We don't," Severus said.

"Occlumency," Malichi said. "Except she hasn't been taught."

"What's Occlumency?" Steven asked.

"Of course she wasn't taught," Severus said. "She's _eleven._ "

"Nearly twelve," Malichi said. "And I had a very apt pupil who started at about that age."

"Whose body and mind wasn't already weakened," Severus said.

" _What's Occlumency?_ " Steven raised his voice above the older men's.

"Look it up in the library," Severus snapped. "She isn't well enough to start lessons, Malichi."

Malichi sighed. "No. She isn't."

"So then what do we do?" Steven asked again.

"We hope the Aurors do their damn job," Severus said.

* * *

Severus sat in the armchair in front of his fire, eyes glaring into the flames. Aurora's nightmares were getting worse. Dreamless Sleep helped overnight, but over the past several days, the Cafferty woman had begun invading her mind at all hours of the day. That first one had been the worst, with the endless screaming—she hadn't had another of those, thank Merlin. And if one wasn't paying attention, her bouts of silent staring might be chalked up to the emotional and physical exhaustion the year's torment had wrought. But he knew each time her eyes lost their focus and she didn't respond, she was in a vision. He wouldn't stand by and let this go on until Aurora descended into madness. It was already hampering her recovery.

He stood and threw Floo Powder into the fireplace, invoking Lucius's name.

It was answered almost immediately, Lucius's head spinning up in the green flames. "Severus. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

"You said you had leads on Nicole Cafferty."

Lucius smirked. "So you do want them."

"I want her stopped. She's still tormenting my daughter."

"She'd have to be close," Lucius said. "Interesting. My sources have her nearer to France than Scotland."

Severus didn't tell him that if Cafferty was half the Legilimens he believed her to be, she could be in Bermuda and not have any trouble accessing Aurora's mind. Lucius didn't know Severus had studied Occlumency and Legilimency under Malichi while at school. And if Severus could help it, he never would.

"Give your information to the Aurors," Severus said. "Please, Lucius."

"Ah, yes. Well, that would make things a bit—sticky. They'd want to know how I got my information. My sources aren't exactly Auror-approved."

Severus closed his eyes and clenched his jaw together, drawing a deep breath. He should demand the information and go after the woman himself. But he wouldn't—couldn't—leave Aurora while she was still being tormented.

"How close are you?"

"She's a bit trickier than I thought. But I'll find her, Severus. I swear it."

"And turn her over to the Aurors," Severus said. "Unharmed, Lucius."

Lucius's face went rigid. "You can't be serious. After all that she's done?"

"She'll be given to the dementors. It will be enough."

"Severus—"

"Just find her, damn you. You owe me that."

He extinguished the flames before Lucius could contradict him.

* * *

Aurora stared at the ceiling in her room, waiting for the inevitable barrage of threats and images that had been tearing through her mind over the last month. When none came, she allowed herself to relax. Maybe today they'd stop. Maybe today, Nicole was too busy running from the Aurors to torture her.

For the first time since David had taken her, she felt hopeful. She even hummed as she got dressed, greeting her father in their sitting room with a smile. He arched an eyebrow and frowned.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"Nothing," Aurora said, sighing happily. "For the first time in weeks."

His eyes glittered, his jaw tightening. "Good. Perhaps the Aurors have finally done their jobs. But I still want you take the Fortification Potion this morning."

Aurora wrinkled her nose. "If she's caught, then she's not going to bombard me all day like she has been doing. I'll be fine."

"And if she hasn't been caught? If she's simply decided to change the timing of her attacks on your mind?"

"It's Saturday. No classes, so I won't be in the middle of anything important. Please, Father. It'll be nice to be down to an even six potions a day." She wasn't exaggerating. Madam Pomfrey had sent her with ten when she was released from the hospital wing, not including the Dreamless Sleep before bed and the Fortification Potion her father had insisted on when classes started back up.

Her father's lips thinned and his eyes locked on her face. Finally, a curt nod. "On the condition that you remain with me throughout the day, in case an incident does occur."

Aurora wasn't upset. Staying with him meant she could spend the day leafing through his Potions texts, away from the pitying stares and concerned questions of her friends and the other students. It wasn't as bad as it had been just after the Easter break, when everyone handled her as though she were glass. But it was still exhausting. And Erin wouldn't be her shadow.

It had crossed her mind that Erin was helping her mother with these new attacks. But it had been a short-lived suspicion. As her father had explained, Erin would need to be completely focused in order to attack Aurora's mind, and there'd been no sign that she even realized when one was happening.

Still, she was more at ease when Erin wasn't around. And she felt terrible for it.

"Fine," she said. "Can we go get breakfast now?"

"How does your back feel?"

She sighed. It was the same question he asked every morning before they headed to breakfast. This week was the first time she hadn't needed the tincture applied daily. The wounds were still there, but they were fading slowly. They didn't even hurt all that much, at least not the constant pain that had been there for two solid weeks after her father started using the potion.

"It's okay, Father. I would tell you if it wasn't."

"There's no pain?"

"There's always a little, right when I wake up," she said. "But it's already going away. That's quicker than it has been doing. I'm fine."

"If it bothers you today—"

"I'll tell you," she said. "Breakfast. Please?"

"Very well."

Screams flooded the Great Hall when they arrived, and Aurora stood at the doorway, jaw dropping open.

Carnage. Blood everywhere. Students ran, only to be cut down by an invisible force. The Ravenclaw table was silent, the sightless faces of Aurora's friends staring at her, blaming her.

She screamed.

"All right. It's all right." Her father knelt in front of her, hands on her arms. He was in his nightshirt, his hair stuck up at odd angles.

Aurora frowned. A moment ago, he'd been dressed. She looked down at her own attire – pajamas. And they weren't in the Great Hall, they were in their quarters.

Another stupid vision. She blinked back tears.

Severus smoothed her hair back from her face. "Whatever she put into your head wasn't real."

"I know." Aurora's chest hurt. She let a hiccupping sob escape. "Father, she knows everything. What potions I'm taking, the questions you ask me. It was so real."

"But it isn't real," he said, his eyes focused on hers. "She's been in your head for weeks, she's likely to know almost everything about you. Including, it seems, how to get around the Dreamless Sleep."

"Maybe I was already awake when it started. Maybe I didn't even take Dreamless sleep—I don't know what's real anymore! When is this going to stop?" Hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her father's grip on her arms tightened, but his face remained impassive.

Aurora broke free of his grip and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. The scent of smoke and the herbs used in his potions surrounded him, comforting her in their familiarity.

With a heavy sigh, he put one hand on her back, the other at the back of her head.

* * *

Severus let his inscrutable expression slip as Aurora clung to him. If Cafferty got into this memory, she would—hopefully—read it as a reluctant attempt on his part to calm his daughter enough to get her to go back to sleep.

If she'd been asleep to begin with. If this madwoman was able to get through Dreamless Sleep, that meant she was close by. And more skilled a Legilimens than Severus had ever seen before. He doubted it. Not even the Dark Lord was able to break through Dreamless Sleep without being directly next to his victim. Severus would know. It had been one of the many experiments Voldemort had tasked him with.

He allowed himself—and Aurora—only a moment's comfort in the embrace before pulling away, setting his face back to inscrutable.

"Soon," he said. "We'll have her soon, Aurora." His eyes bored into hers, daring Nicole Cafferty, if she was looking, to try and find anything in them but the promise of her imminent failure.

* * *

"Professor Flitwick said he assigned three feet," Severus said, looking over his notes. "The Mending Charm."

Aurora threw her bag across the room. He arched a brow at her, though he couldn't blame her for her frustration.

"I remember doing it," she said. "I remember doing _all_ of my homework. And none of it's in there."

This wasn't the first time it had happened. It was why they were sitting in his empty classroom on a Saturday afternoon. One of Cafferty's favorite torments was planting false memories into Aurora's mind. She'd missed three assignments the first week after break, and Severus had asked the other professors to keep him appraised of homework so he could verify whether it had been done. All of them had made allowances for Aurora's predicament, but she was adamant about wanting to keep up.

He'd tried sending her to the library with her friends to finish assignments, but half the time she came back in tears, her friends not able to bring her out of the visions Cafferty assaulted her with in order to point out that she wasn't writing anything down. In Aurora's mind, she'd been working tirelessly.

"So you'll do it now." His voice was calm and even. "Miss Cafferty?"

"I'll go get the books you'll need from the library," Erin said, jumping up from her seat at the back of the room.

Erin was always the first to volunteer to sit with her, to help in any way she could. Penance, Severus assumed, for the part she'd played and her mother's continued torment of Aurora.

"I'm so tired of this," Aurora said, retrieving her bag and setting it down onto a chair with a _thunk_.

"And I so relish being an appointment book." Aurora's wasn't the only patience that had grown thin. He knew it wasn't his daughter's fault that she couldn't be counted on for reliable information about what she had and had not done each day.

And it was infuriating to watch her sliding closer and closer to hysteria as her reality was constantly being changed.

Cafferty had to be stopped. And if Lucius or the Aurors couldn't find her soon, he'd damn well do it himself.

* * *

Aurora stared at the bottle of Dreamless Sleep on her nightstand, letting out a heavy sigh. It wasn't lasting nearly as long as it had during the first term. She knew it was her body getting used to it, like any medication, and her father had said it would be safe to take a second dose midway through the night.

But still, her hand hesitated as it reached for the bottle. She wanted to sleep. It was the only time anymore she could be sure that her mind was safe. But Nicole was used to getting blocked out at night—what if she didn't even try anymore?

She drew her hand back, settling back into the bed. Her clock read 3:23 A.M. It was too late for another dose, anyway. Her father would never let her sleep past breakfast.

Voices drifted into from the sitting room. Aurora frowned and got up from the bed, tiptoeing to the door.

"…late hour."

Aurora's blood chilled. Lucius Malfoy. What was he doing here?

Her father's voice crept under the door. "Keep your voice down. I hardly think Draco's had enough time to contact you, and I certainly did not, so why are you here?"

"What's this about my son?"

"McGonagall caught him out of bed a few hours ago. Tried to tell her Potter had a dragon. I'm sure he'll convince you to take up his cause in the morning."

Lucius snorted. "Where would a first year get a dragon? If he hopes to get my help in this, he is sorely mistaken. It's clear he was taken in by Potter." He spat the name.

"Well why, then?" There was a pause. "Cafferty?"

Aurora bit her lip and eased the door open a crack. The two men stood in front of the fireplace, her father's arms crossed over his chest. He was dressed—which meant he hadn't gone to bed yet. Lucius had a smirk on his face.

"You don't have to worry about her anymore," Lucius said.

Severus straightened, his fingers curling around his arm. "What do you mean?"

"I did as you asked, Severus. I found her."

"And?"

"And she's dead."

Aurora's heart froze. Was it true? _Could_ it be true? Was it all over?

The elation passed as quickly as it had sprung up. No. This was another vision. She hadn't taken the Dreamless Sleep, and now Nicole was messing with her mind again. She sighed and slipped the door closed, curling back up underneath her covers.

She eyed the Dreamless Sleep hungrily. But taking it now, in this vision, meant nothing. She'd lost her chance. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she slept.

* * *

"Dead." Severus's voice was flat. "If you're sure, it means you saw it happen. Dammit, Lucius, you were meant to turn her over to the Aurors!"

"Couldn't be helped," Lucius said with a sniff. "And are you really so disappointed?"

Severus didn't answer right away. _Was_ he disappointed? He could breathe again, the heavy weight that had been on his chest since Aurora's kidnapping eased with the news of Cafferty's death.

No. He wasn't sorry she was dead. And it sickened him. Maybe he wasn't so different from the man in front of him.

"The dementor's kiss would have been more cathartic," Severus said.

Lucius sniffed again. "I'll remember that for next time." His voice lowered. "Severus, I had no hand in—that is, I didn't know Cafferty was planning this."

"You knew about her, about her children—when you found out Aurora had been poisoned at Christmas, why didn't you tell me about Cafferty then?"

He knew the answer, of course. Lucius was trying to save his own skin, as he always did. But Severus wanted to hear him admit it.

Lucius met his stare, eyes narrowed. "I had no reason to believe Cafferty was behind this. As you've said yourself, Severus, you have made many enemies over the years. I can hardly be expected to keep track of all of them."

"You kept track enough to know exactly who I was talking about when I confronted you at the manor."

"Yes, well, you mentioned Pruitt. I didn't connect the two—dammit, all right. I should have told you about Cafferty, about her children. But I devoted nearly two months of my time tracking her down. The least you could do is say thank you." Lucius's chest heaved with each shallow breath he took. He brushed his palm over his mouth and took a deep breath. "I've made an effort to make things right between us. Can you say the same?"

Severus frowned. Why was Lucius suddenly pretending that their friendship—or what was left of it—mattered to him? _Was_ he pretending? He studied Lucius's face. There was no deception there, only a kind of angry plea. His eyes snapped to his arm as Lucius rested his hand on it.

"Do not make me beg your forgiveness, Severus."

"A bit of humility might do you some good." He pried Lucius's hand from his arm and exhaled in a puff. He still needed Lucius and his position in the Death Eaters. At least until the Dark Lord was gone, once and for all. Who knew how long that was going to be?

But that didn't mean he had to let the man walk all over him, yet again. "Forgiveness be damned. This changes nothing. Yet again, you sought the path easiest for yourself. With violence. Get out."

Lucius's eyes snapped back into an icy stare. "You've had a trying term. I fear your years under Dumbledore's thumb have made you forget who your true friends are. There was a time you would not have questioned my methods."

"And there was a time when I believed you considered anyone other than yourself," Severus said, taking pleasure in the flash of hurt in Lucius's eyes. "I asked one thing of you: to turn her over to the Aurors. And yet, your pride could not allow even that. None of this would have even been an issue were it not for your penchant for violence. This started with the torture of Pruitt. A torture you swore would not take place. Save me your empty platitudes about true friends; it's clear to me now that we are nothing more than colleagues." He glanced toward Aurora's closed door. "Get out, before you disturb my daughter. _She_ has had a trying term."

Lucius's eyes flicked to Aurora's door as well. Then a brusque nod. "Of course."

His voice was husky. Severus frowned as Lucius turned and threw open the door. He hadn't actually gotten through to the maniac, had he?

He almost called him back. Maybe there was still a shred of the boy who'd taken Severus under his wing at school.

But the door closed, and rather than feeling relieved that he'd managed to speak truth to Lucius for the first time in more than ten years, he felt an inexplicable tightening of his chest.


	51. Truth or Fiction?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my awesome beta, to2llyuntraceable, who made me realize that sometimes, you need a little more fluff to balance out the angst.

Aurora woke to more voices in the sitting room. By the time she reached the sitting room, the door to the hall was closing, whoever had been visiting already gone.

Her father gripped the back of the armchair, staring at the door. He spun when she cleared her throat, his eyes glittering with—were those tears? He dropped to his knees in front of her and placed his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw.

Her heart plummeted. This was not like him at all. Was this another vision? Was he about to tell her something had happened to Malichi, or to Steven? “Father? What is it?”

“It’s over.” His voice broke, a huskiness present that Aurora wasn’t used to. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Breath caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat. “How do you know?”

“Professor Dumbledore has just left. The Aurors found Nicole Cafferty’s body early this morning.”

Aurora’s blood chilled, remembering the previous night’s vision. Or had it been real? “How did she die?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “It’s unclear right now. But she can’t hurt you again.”

“No,” Aurora said, stepping back.

He frowned. “No?”

“This is another vision, another trick. If I believe it, it’s just going to turn into something terrible.”

The frown softened. “This is no vision.” He reached out and took her hands. His eyes held hers as he gently squeezed her hands. “You’re free of her.”

And then he did something he’d never done, not once that Aurora could remember. He pulled her into an embrace, almost knocking the wind out of her with the force of the hug.

“You’re free of her,” he said again. He rested his cheek against her hair, one hand held against the back of her head.

A sob escaped from Aurora’s throat, and her father's arms closed around her even tighter. She wanted to believe him, but she’d trusted visions like these before. They always ended badly. And this was too surreal. She pushed away from him, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Her father’s face pulled into a puzzled frown.

“This isn’t real,” she whispered. “My father would never…” her voice trailed off. 

He closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. When he opened them again, Aurora thought she saw a flicker of regret. It was gone before she could be certain.

“No,” he said. “I suppose I wouldn’t. But I assure you, this is real.” He sighed, standing when Aurora stayed where she was. “Maybe by the end of the day, you’ll let yourself believe it.”

But Aurora knew she wouldn’t make it to the end of the day without something catastrophic happening. The visions never lasted that long.

Severus forced back a curse as he surveyed the angry red marks on Aurora’s back. They were no longer open wounds, but they were still more pronounced than he would have liked. She flinched when the rag touched her back, and his frown deepened.

“That hurts?”

“Not really.”

“Aurora. We’ve been over this. If you’re in pain—”

“I _told_ you. It always hurts right when I wake up. Poking at it doesn’t help.”

“And yet, it’s a necessary part of applying the salve,” he said. “Is the pain sharp?”

“No. It’s just an ache.”

 _That’s something, at least._ He continued to apply the salve, shaking his head as the potion turned almost black over the scars. There was still a great deal of Dark Magic trapped in the wounds. But the daily applications had been coming away almost clear, the buildup from day to day not enough to change the substance’s color. It seemed weekly would do, for now. Hopefully the potion would draw out all of it before the end of the year.

“Once you’re back in the dormitory, you’ll come down before breakfast every Sunday to have this salve administered.”

Aurora jerked her head toward him. “I’m going back to the dorm?”

“The threat has passed, and you’ve finished most of the draughts Madam Pomfrey prescribed. There isn’t any reason for you to be singled out from your housemates.”

“But we don’t _know_ that.” Her voice was pitched, and a note of panic had crept in. “Even if this isn’t a vision, right now, what if she’s trying to get me back in the dorm, where I’m more vulnerable? What if—”

“Enough.” His voice was soft, but his tone was firm enough to stop her from spiraling further. “Nicole Cafferty is dead. Her son is in Azkaban. I would not allow you to go back if I thought it would be dangerous in any way.”

“But what if she got to somebody else? What if they’re just waiting for me to go back?”

“Aurora.” He placed a cooling bandage laced with belladonna over her back and met her eyes. “You cannot live your life afraid of what _might_ happen. Hiding here, constantly looking over your shoulder, jumping at shadows—it means they’ll have won. Merlin knows you’ve been through more than your share of anguish, but don’t give up now. You’re stronger than that.”

She blinked, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I don’t feel strong.”

His heart twisted, but he kept his voice even when he spoke. “You got yourself away from the Cafferty boy. As injured as you were, you seized the opportunity for escape when it was presented. Because you _are_ strong, even if it doesn’t feel like it. I wouldn’t ask it of you if I didn’t think you could do it.”

Aurora took a deep, shuddering breath. “I’ll try.”

Severus allowed a trace of a smile to spread over his face. “I know.”

The Great Hall was a flurry of activity, even more so than usual. Aurora slid onto the bench beside Kim, Erin’s spot conspicuously empty. Some of the other students were glancing at Erin’s seat, but most of the snippets of conversation that floated to their table were about the House Cup totals. Somehow, Gryffindor had lost 150 points overnight. At the staff table, her father smirked. Slytherin was back in the lead. Aurora wondered if it had something to do with Harry, Draco, and the supposed dragon that her father had mentioned to Lucius.

“Snape told you, right?” Kim asked.

“What?” Aurora said, turning away from the staff table.

“Before breakfast. He told you?”

“About the points? No, I didn’t know—”

“Not the ruddy points, Aurora! I mean, I figured they’d tell you before they throw it in the newspaper, wouldn’t they?”

“Tell me what?” Aurora asked.

Kim shoved _The Daily Prophet_ into Aurora’s hands.

_WANTED WIFE OF DEATH EATER FOUND DEAD_

_By: Rita Skeeter_

_Nicole Cafferty, the mastermind behind the planned abduction, torture, and murder of Hogwarts students this term, was found dead in an abandoned home near Leeds. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has made no comment as to how the witch was killed, but a trusted source within the Aurors has said they were called to the scene long after Cafferty’s death. Could there be a vigilante in the wizarding community? Or is this a sign of something more sinister?_

_Readers may recall the suspicious demise of Death Eater Hector Pruitt, Cafferty’s late husband, killed just after You-Know-Who’s defeat in 1981. Hogwarts’s Potions Master, Severus Snape, was implicated in that death when Pruitt’s body was discovered in Snape’s Cokeworth home. This reporter certainly remembers the claims that Snape was, and is, loyal to You-Know-Who. With reports that Cafferty had been targeting Snape’s daughter, who can say that he hasn’t used the Dark Arts he’s so enamored with to dispatch another enemy?_

_Cafferty leaves behind two children…_

Aurora’s hands clenched, crumpling the newspaper. How could anyone believe that her father had anything to do—her heart stopped. She thought about the evening before, to the perceived vision. Lucius Malfoy had told her father Nicole was dead. And that he’d tracked her down _as he’d asked_.

“Aurora?” Kim put a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong? This is good news, right? I mean, not really for Erin. Flitwick came and got her before breakfast. We thought it might have been about who she’s going to end up staying with--”

“Did you read this?”

“What? No, I read the headline. Why?”

Aurora handed the paper back to her. Kim cursed.

“Stupid reporters. They should get thrown in jail for saying things like that without any proof. I mean, it couldn’t have been him, right?”

Aurora looked up to the staff table, her eyes glued on her father. He was ignoring the stares from the rest of the school, talking with Professor Dumbledore.

“No,” she said quietly. “It couldn’t have been him.”

A somber silence draped over them as Severus walked with Aurora back to their quarters.

 _Has she accepted that this is reality?_ he wondered.

Her gait was smooth and sure, though her eyes were cast down at her feet, avoiding his. He frowned.

“Did something happen at breakfast?” he asked when they got back to the rooms.

She looked up at him, a weary resignation aging her well beyond her eleven years. “I read the paper, that’s all.”

“And?”

“Did you read it?”

“I did not.”

“It pretty much calls you a murderer. Says you had something to do with Nicole’s death.” She paused, then, “You didn’t, right?”

His eyes locked on hers. “I would have hoped, by now, that you’d rely less on what you read and more on what you already know to be true.”

“I _don’t_ know what’s true.” She was almost shouting, her hands on her head. “If this is all just another vision, it could have been you. It’s the kind of thing she’d do, make me think everything is good, and then have it all go wrong.”

“This is _not a vision_!” Severus’s tone was sharper than he intended, his voice rising to be heard above hers.

Aurora’s breathing was shallow, her face puckered as though she was going to cry.

 _Damn fool_ , he chided himself.

“I apologize. I’m frustrated that you can’t trust this is real. But if this is just a vision, you’d have no way out of it, correct?”

“None that I’ve found yet.”

“Then you might as well go along with it.”

Aurora stared at him. “That’s when everything will go wrong.”

“And you’ll come out of it,” he said. “But when it doesn’t go wrong, perhaps you’ll be willing to believe me.”

“Maybe.” She looked at the door to her room, then back at him. “Do I have to move back to the tower?”

He wanted to say no, that the thought of several floors between them should something else go wrong made his stomach twist into knots. But it was as he’d told her before breakfast: letting the fear overwhelm them was letting the Cafferty boy and his mother win. So, he said simply, “Yes.”

“But we’re only two weeks out from exams. What could it hurt to stay here through the end of term?”

“Aurora.”

“Next year I can start fresh—”

“Aurora.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s time you were back with your dormmates and had some normalcy. Besides,” he forced a smirk, “as you say, in just a few short weeks, it will be the end of term, and we’ll have all summer to annoy each other.”

She took a deep breath. “Fine. But you’re going to walk up with me, right?”

“There’s no need. Your school bag is more than manageable for you, and once it’s packed, your trunk will be waiting in your dorm.”

“But I’ll be on my own—”

“Yes. You no longer require an escort by your side at every moment.”

Fear leapt into her eyes. “But what if something happens? What if someone grabs me when I’m by myself?”

“There is no one in this castle actively trying to harm you.”

“You don’t _know_ that.”

“All right.” His voice was carried on a heavy sigh. “I will walk up to the tower with you.”

She swallowed and nodded, her eyes still shadowed with fear. He wished he had the words to reassure her.

Aurora looked around the empty room, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She’d spent half the school year here, and despite the times she and her father had argued, she’d liked being this close to him. Despite what he said, she knew summer wasn’t going to be the same thing. This—this was something that would not come again.

“Let’s go, then.” Her father’s voice broke into her thoughts. 

Was she imagining it, or was there a huskiness there that belied his placid expression? Was it possible he was going to miss having her there?

“Father?”

“Yes?”

“I—I’m not happy about what happened,” she said.

“I would think not.”

“But I’m glad it forced us to spend so much time together.”

He tilted his head to the side, giving a brief nod. “As am I.” He cleared his throat. “We shouldn’t draw this out any longer than necessary. Have you got your bag? Good.”

Her father strode from the room, his long legs putting him into the corridor before Aurora was halfway through the sitting room.

She took one last look around. Even though she’d miss the closeness with her father sharing his quarters had brought, leaving meant it really was over.

They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the tower door, her father turned to leave.

“Wait. What if I can’t get the riddle?” she asked.

At the Christmas break, Flitwick had gotten his wish. Jonna was no longer the tower guardian. Instead, an eagle knocker on the door posed riddles to anyone wanting to gain entry. It seemed a lot less secure to Aurora than a password.

“You’ll be fine,” he said.

“But—”

“Aurora.” His tone was firm, his eyes hinting at his impatience. “I will not stand here all day. Go on.”

She drew a shaky breath and stepped up to the door.

The eagle knocker eyed her, then spoke. “What is so fragile the mere utterance of its name causes it to break?”

Aurora started. Could it be that easy? “Silence?”

She felt a thrill of satisfaction as the door swung open, turning to look at her father. He was already gone.

The common room was nearly empty. So close to exams, students were at the library studying. A few of the students that were using the smaller Ravenclaw library looked up at her when she entered, looking away just as quickly.

She walked up to her dorm, setting her bag on her trunk. A strangled sob came from behind Erin’s drawn bed curtains.

“Erin?”

Erin pulled the curtain back after a moment, her eyes puffy and red. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you were going to be back today. I’ll leave—”

“Wait.” Aurora chewed on her lip, feeling awkward. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” Erin wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m sorry. It’s not like she was mother of the year, was she?”

“She was still your mum,” Aurora said quietly.

“Yeah.” Erin cleared her throat again, then got off her bed. “I’m glad she’s dead.” The words rang against the walls, echoing through the empty room, but Erin’s voice had been barely a whisper.

Aurora swallowed. She wasn’t sure what to say. The truth in Erin’s words pierced through her wall of mistrust, cracking it just a little. “I think it’s okay to feel sad and relieved at the same time.”

Erin sniffled. “I’m glad you’re back. And I’m glad it’s all over.”

“I’m glad it’s over, too.” There was no point in voicing her fear that this was all in her head. She might as well do what her father suggested and go along with things. “But I didn’t want to come back.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Erin’s lips quivered. “Aurora, if I could take it back, all of it, I would.”

“But you can’t.” This was pointless. She didn’t trust Erin, and maybe she never would again. But Erin had been bending over backward to help her through the aftermath of Nicole’s barrage of visions. Hadn’t she? Or was that part of a vision, too?

Suddenly, Aurora was exhausted. She needed to either forgive Erin or cut ties completely—but not right now. For now, she’d settle for civility. Maybe the choice would be clearer after a few days without no visions.

“Have you heard anything yet about where you’ll end up?” Aurora asked.

Erin sighed and sat back on her bed. “No. Maybe now she’s gone, though—I got the feeling that nobody wanted to chance it while she was still running around loose.”

“That’s terrible,” Aurora said. “Would you even want to go live with someone like that?”

“I’m not going to have much say in it.” She hesitated, then, “The Ministry’s been trying to get me assigned to an orphanage, but Dumbledore won’t let them.”

“Didn’t you say you had some family nearby? Why’s the Ministry getting involved?”

Erin shrugged. “I guess they take notice when your mum’s a psychopath terrorizing kids.”

Aurora didn’t speak right away. Finally, she said, “Well, to be fair, my father’s been terrorizing kids for years.”

Erin gaped at her, then laughed. Aurora’s mouth twitched upward, the closest she’d come to a smile in weeks.

Maybe it _was_ all over.


	52. Unyielding Pressure

"Aurora - I don't understand this bit. Why do Ashwinder eggs make any antidote worthless?" Basil asked, re-reading his Potions notes.

"Because they've got too much concentrated venom," Aurora said. "If you add them to any antidote without putting in a bezoar draught, you'll end up poisoning someone."

"Right, that makes some sense." Basil turned back to his book.

They were sitting under the beech tree by the lake with Jamie, Kim, and Erin. Exams were only a few days away, and Aurora was feeling woefully un-prepared. The month of false memories meant she couldn't count on what she thought she'd learned.

_Is this where it turns?_ She'd tried to brush off the last vestiges of doubt about what her reality was, but they clung to her. _Failing my exams and leaving Hogwarts?_ There were worse things that could happen in the grand scheme of things—her back was proof enough of that—but leaving Hogwarts would mean the end of so much. Her friends would forget her, the relationship she'd been able to build with her father would revert to sullen exchanges—she doubted he'd be happy if she failed—and she'd have no future in the wizarding world. The pressure clamped around her like a vise.

"You'll be fine," Erin said.

Aurora looked at her, frowning. "What?"

"You had that look again. The one where you're racing down the 'what if' road. You did the work already for all these classes. It'll come back to you."

"Oi! Harry!" Kim stood as the trio of Gryffindors came out of the castle.

Erin grabbed her arm and yanked her back down. "Please, Kim. Don't."

Kim stared down at her. "They're still our friends."

"Even if they have been avoiding us as much as possible," Jamie said with a sniff.

"Well, they're not avoiding us now," Kim said, shooting the Gryffindors a smile as they wandered over.

"Hi," Harry said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled at the group.

_Forced a smile_ , Aurora thought. All three Gryffindors were shifting on their feet, as though they couldn't wait to get away.

"Hey, Erin," Ron said, eyes darting from Erin to Aurora.

"Hello, Ron." Erin's eyes were fixed on her Potions book.

Ron rubbed the back of his head and shot a pleading look toward Hermione. "Are you all ready for your exams?" Hermione asked, elbowing Ron. "Every time I feel I'm ready, I remember I haven't studied the Levitation Charm or something."

"I guess we'll find out next week," Jamie said.

"Why don't you all study with us?" Aurora said, ignoring a puff of irritation from Erin.

"We can't," Harry said quickly, eyes flicking to Aurora's and then back to the ground. "We should really get back. Um, Quidditch practice. C'mon, guys." Harry turned away, and Hermione turned to follow, tugging on Ron's sleeve.

"Good luck with exams," Ron mumbled before allowing himself to be corralled.

"They've been weird all term," Jamie said.

Aurora sighed. "Yeah, since they found out who my father was."

"No, it isn't because of Snape. Well, him being your father, I mean." Erin said.

"Yeah, they pulled away a little midway through term, but it's been worse this week. Ever since Harry and Hermione had detention in the Forbidden Forest," Kim said.

Erin huffed and pushed her Charms book at Aurora. "Don't worry about it. They'll realize what idiots they're being. Quiz me on Mending Charms."

Tears shimmered in Erin's eyes, and when she caught Aurora staring at her, she ran her hand roughly over her face. The tears stubbornly remained. It was easy for Aurora to forget that Erin had been through a lot emotionally, too. Things between them were inching back to how they'd been before Aurora's kidnapping, but Aurora still hadn't verbally forgiven her.

But there'd been no word about Erin's guardianship, either. It went unspoken between the group, but all of them knew what it meant: Nicole's death hadn't prompted any of her family members into finding a place for her. Nobody wanted her. And despite the chasm that was still between the two girls, Aurora knew she had to find a way to help.

She waited until they took a break from studying—Kim and Jamie headed up to Ravenclaw Tower, but Aurora hung back with Basil and Jamie.

"I wish there was something we could do," Aurora said. "About Erin."

"I've tried talking to her about Ron," Jamie said. "But you know how she is every night—sobbing into her pillow. She won't talk about it. It's not healthy."

"Not everybody is as open with their feelings as you are," Basil said. "Erin's dealing with a lot. When she's ready to talk about it, she will."

"There's got to be something," Aurora said. "Maybe not about Ron—but what about where she's going to stay?"

"I'd ask my grandfather, but he wouldn't be much of an improvement over Nicole," Basil said.

"I—" Jamie blushed. "I already wrote to Mum and Dad, told them what was going on. They said they might have taken her in under normal circumstances, but the Ministry's pressuring people to stay away. They say she could be dangerous. And Mum can't afford to be on the wrong side of the Ministry."

The thought of the Ministry blocking Erin's prospect of a decent home infuriated Aurora. "Well, I'm going to see Dumbledore about it. He won't let the Ministry get away with this."

"And I'll ask Kim," Jamie said. "She has a bunch of sisters already. Maybe her parents can take Erin."

"I'll go with you," Basil said to Jamie. "I'll distract Erin so you can talk to Kim alone."

Aurora already felt better. They had a plan, and they were going to make it work. Even if she hadn't quite forgiven Erin, nobody deserved to be forgotten.

"Quirrell's not put a toe out of line in months." Severus sat in Albus's office, watching the headmaster pace. "Since Aurora's move back to the tower, I've resumed my patrols of the corridors. He hasn't left his quarters after dark all week. And I've seen nothing suspicious using Legilimency. He's being damned careful about things now."

"You did call him out in February," Albus said. "Perhaps it put him off the Stone altogether."

"And I've started rewarding students with sweets."

Albus smiled. "It wouldn't be completely out of the question."

Severus bit back another retort. It felt good, _normal_ , to be trading barbs with Albus again. He was even grateful that he had Quirrell to focus on. Anything but how much damage his past demons had wrought on his daughter.

"If we let our guard down now, he'll make a move," Severus said. "I'll have another chat with him, make sure he knows I've still got an eye on him."

"No, no. I don't think that's necessary," Albus said. "The term is almost at an end, and if Voldemort's curse on the position holds true, Quirrell won't be here to go after the Stone next term."

Severus cringed at the casual use of the Dark Lord's name. "Didn't it ever occur to you to simply sack the man? You know he set that troll loose on Halloween, and he's trying to steal the Stone; why keep him on?"

"Ah. He won't get to it," Albus said. "I'm sure of that, at least. And I'm rather curious to see if he has the wherewithal to make the attempt. Aren't you?"

"No." Severus's voice was flat. "I'm actually hoping the rest of the term is uneventful."

Albus's face softened. "I don't believe you've had an uneventful term yet."

An owl appeared at the window, tapping on the glass, and the headmaster moved to let it in.

"Ah, yes." He held up the letter the owl bore and dropped a few sickles into the bag at its leg. "I am hoping that this will clear up the matter of Miss Cafferty's future."

"A reply from a family member? About bloody time."

"No," Albus said, pulling out the parchment and reading. "It's from Shacklebolt. When none of Miss Cafferty's close family responded to my inquiries, I asked him to dig around a bit. It seems—" Albus lifted the first page, eyes scanning the next, "—yes. There are a few more names here to contact."

"So you'll ship her off to whoever will take her?" Severus asked. "To hell with who they are? What if they're out for blood, as her mother was?"

"These," Albus held up the letter again, "are distant relations. A great-aunt in America, and a cousin of sorts in London. One a Muggle, one a Squib, it appears. No possibility of the Dark Arts. Of course, it would be better to place her with someone she knows, someone she is comfortable with."

"Perhaps you should harangue her closer relations until they relent."

"I am afraid they will not bend." Albus peered over the rim of his glasses. "What would be the most beneficial, I believe, is if she had a place with a friend. Someone who has suffered—"

Severus held up a hand, the other massaging his temple. He suddenly had a headache. "Stop. You can't be serious. After everything that child has done, you expect me to bring her into my home?"

"But I thought you were convinced of her remorse? It certainly seemed that way when the Aurors came to speak to her."

"Not wanting her in Azkaban does not equate to wanting to adopt her. And even if it did, anyone who takes her is inviting scrutiny from the Ministry. I'm meant to avoid excess attention, not invite it to bloody tea." Honestly. The man was insufferable. "And were _that_ not the case, Aurora would not be comfortable with it."

"Ah, yes. I know their relationship was strained with all that has happened. But she might surprise you. Children often do."

Severus stood. "That girl will not end up under my roof, Albus. I suggest you make these last inquires more appealing—perhaps leave off that the rest of her immediate family are murdering sociopaths."

He left the office, muttering to himself on the moving stairwell.

"Damn fool. Aurora's been through enough; the last thing she needs is reminder of her torture every day of her summer holidays." Severus stopped muttering as the stairwell ceased movement. Aurora lounged against the opposite wall, straightening when he appeared.

She was alone. It was amazing how something so simple could lift some of the weight from his shoulders. If she was comfortable on her own, it meant she was at least starting to trust that her torment had come to an end.

"Why are you loitering by the headmaster's office?" he asked.

"I was waiting for him. But you'll do."

"I'm flattered," he said flatly.

Aurora colored. "I didn't mean it like that."

"What did you mean, then?"

"Erin won't ask, but exams are next week, and she's so distracted she can't study. Is there _any_ word on what's going to happen to her?"

"So you've forgiven her, then?"

Aurora hesitated. "I haven't quite said so," she admitted. "But I think I'm beginning to, at least. So, is there any word?"

"It happens that the headmaster received a letter as I was leaving."

Aurora's face lit up. "From who? Did they say they'd take Erin in?"

"A contact of Professor Dumbledore's has given him a few more relations to try."

"Do you think they'll agree to take her?"

Severus stared at her. Her eyes were widened, her mouth turned down at the corners. There was a hopeful glint in her gaze that broke his heart. He knew what the other relatives would say as much as Albus did: _No, sorry. Couldn't possibly take on another mouth to feed._ Or something equally as inane and transparent. "No," he said, hating himself as the hope dimmed. "I don't think there's much chance at all."

Aurora drew a shaky breath, nodding to herself. Before she could speak, Basil appeared around the corner.

"Aurora! Oh, hello, Professor Snape."

"Mr. Rosier," Severus said, eyebrow arched.

"So?" Aurora asked. "What did Kim say?"

Basil shook his head. "She asked them last week."

"Dammit!" Aurora kicked the wall.

Severus pulled her back, startled by the outburst. "What's this about?"

Aurora looked at him, her eyes boring into his. A shiver went up Severus's spine. He'd seen that stubborn determination before, in his own reflection.

"Erin has nowhere to go," Aurora said.

"Her relations—"

"Aren't going to take her. You said it yourself. They're all scared of the Ministry. But you're not."

He groaned. "Aurora—"

"We're her last chance, Father. And she'd share my room," she said quickly. "We'd behave."

Basil drew in a sharp breath. Severus shot a look at the boy. He stared at Aurora, eyes wide, one hand halfway stretched toward her, as though he wanted to stop her from continuing.

"Bringing her to live with us is quite a jump from 'beginning to forgive her'," Severus said. "You'd be comfortable with her in the house all summer long?"

"I share a dorm with her now," Aurora said. "It's not much different."

"Well, the frequency with which she blows up cauldrons would make her a liability around my experiments during the summer months," he said with a hint of a smile.

Aurora's jaw set. "This isn't a joke, Father. She needs someone to care about her, and even if one of these relatives takes her, I'm worried they won't give a-a damn about her." Her eyes jerked away as she swore, then focused back on him.

"Mind your language," he said, brow arched. "Dumbledore has everything in hand. He wouldn't advocate for placing her somewhere that would harm her."

"Oh, you mean like putting Harry with the Dursleys?" Aurora snapped.

Severus took a deep breath, calming his temper. She didn't know the details of Harry's protections, and honestly, he didn't know all of them, either. "There was no other choice for Potter. And you'd do well to watch your tone. Your being upset does not grant you license to be insolent."

Her chest heaved and her eyes narrowed slightly. "If _I_ feel like nobody cares about what happens to her, how must she be feeling?"

_Dammit_. No, this wasn't his place. And yet, the look on Aurora's face—disappointment, condemnation—he'd gotten used to those on other people. Before this year, he'd grown used to them from her. But he wasn't going to let the progress they'd made be wasted.

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "If Professor Dumbledore is unable to find a suitable guardian, I will consider the prospect of Miss Cafferty staying at Spinner's End."

Basil's jaw dropped, but Aurora's relieved smile eased the knot in his stomach.

_Merlin, please don't let it come to that._

Severus _loved_ exam week. He fed off the insecurities of the students as he prowled around the exam room, savoring the flicker of uncertainty he put into their eyes with a well-timed smirk. It was especially gratifying to stand over Potter's cauldron as the boy fumbled his way through the first years' Forgetfulness Potion practical.

And a first for him this year, a prickle of pride when he swept past Aurora's station. Impeccable, as he knew it would be. Even Erin, thanks to her tutoring sessions with Aurora, managed a passable brew without blowing up the cauldron.

When he released his final group of sixth years, he sighed with relief. Another week of grading exams, and then it would be home to Spinner's End. Away from Albus and his insistence that Severus be dragged into every plot the headmaster cooked up.

Albus appeared at the doorway, as though Severus's mere thought had drawn him there. A little of his good mood evaporated. What did he want now?

"Another year gone," Albus said, smiling at the students as they filed out of the classroom.

"That is how time generally works," Severus said. "Something I can help you with, headmaster?"

Albus waited until the last sixth year had left, then shut the door and turned back to Severus. "I've received an owl from the Ministry; I'm leaving for London in a few minutes."

Severus arched a brow. "And you're confident it's not a ploy to lure you from the castle so Quirrell can make his move?"

"Not at all. I'm counting on you to alert me should I be needed here. And Severus—that is _all_ I am counting on you for. I do not wish you to intervene. It is far too important that you remain apart from all of this."

He huffed. "So, rather than stopping the greedy fool before he gets to the Stone, you'd have me take the time to write you a letter and send an owl if he goes after it?"

"Yes."

Severus groaned and closed his eyes. There was no point in arguing with the man; there rarely was. "Albus, I—" he opened his eyes to find the headmaster already gone. He sighed, his good mood from the exams vanishing. The man was exhausting.

He climbed the stairs from the dungeons and entered the Entrance Hall, frowning as he spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled together by the door. Harry was gesticulating wildly as he spoke, clearly agitated about something. Severus smirked as he approached them. Their conversation halted, terrified eyes looking up at him.

_Interesting. No doubt they're plotting something._ He told them off for being inside on such a nice day and hinted at expelling Potter if he got the chance, knowing Albus would never allow it. But the fear in the boy's eyes was enough to keep the smirk on his face as he ascended the stairs up to the staffroom.

Quirrell wasn't there. _Wonderful. Now I'm going to have to track the idiot down._ He turned back into the corridor, stopping abruptly when he caught sight of Hermione loitering by the door.

"Granger!"

She jumped, her eyes widening when she saw him.

"What are you doing lurking outside the staffroom?"

"I-I was waiting for Professor Flitwick," she stammered.

"He isn't here."

"Oh." She kept averting her gaze.

Severus smirked. "I'll go and fetch him for you, shall I?"

"Th-thank you, Sir."

Severus nodded curtly and strode away. If he saw Flitwick before he found Quirrell, he'd mention the girl to him.

But he didn't see either professor again until dinner. Severus took his place beside Quirrell and forced himself to chat, trying to catch his eye and pry into his thoughts with Legilimency.

He was turned away at every opportunity. Severus grunted in frustration.

"R-remarkable how well sh-she's doing, all things con-considered," Quirrell said.

"What?"

"Aurora. N-nearly top m-marks on my exam," he said

Severus allowed a smirk of pride. "She's in Ravenclaw for a reason."

The rest of dinner was torture, with Severus intentionally drawing Quirrell out in conversation. The two of them remained at the staff table long after the Great Hall had emptied and Severus's head ached from listening to Quirrell's stuttering.

After an hour or two, Quirrell excused himself. Severus clenched his jaw, but let him go, waiting only a few moments before casting a Stealth Charm and creeping after him. He needn't have bothered. It was clear where he was headed: the third floor.

Quirrell slipped inside the room with Hagrid's beast. Severus had half a mind to ignore Albus's orders and drag him out. But he didn't. Albus trusted him and had given him explicit instructions. Wand hand twitching, Severus turned away to send the owl his employer had requested.

Aurora fully intended to sleep in on the day after exams ended. It was a scheduled day of boredom and most importantly, no studying. But a commotion in the common room drifted up the stairs and woke her just after she'd normally have been up for class.

Her dormmates were all sitting up, rubbing their eyes, looking as confused as she felt. Kim was the first one to grab her robe and get to the door, the others on her heels.

The common room was packed with students in pajamas and bathrobes, with a spattering of older students, dressed and gesticulating wildly.

"What's going on?" Aurora caught up to Kim, who had started talking to Cho Chang.

"It's Harry Potter," Cho said. "He's in the hospital wing."

Aurora glanced at her friends, her concern reflected in their eyes. "Why?"

"Not sure," Cho said. "But Professor Quirrell's dead. They're saying something about him attacking Harry, and Harry _killed_ him."

The quartet of first years dashed back up to their dorm and yanked on clothes before hurrying back downstairs.

"We'll ask Ron and Hermione," Aurora said. "They'll know what's happened."

Erin set her jaw and nodded. But when they got to the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione were surrounded by other students, all of them shouting questions.

The staff table was empty except for Professor Vector, calmly reading a copy of _The Daily Prophet_.

Aurora and her dormmates couldn't even get close to the Gryffindor table. But they heard what was passed down among the mob: Harry had been trying to stop the theft of the Sorcerer's Stone.

And apparently, he'd succeeded.

Aurora's jaw dropped. _Harry_ had defeated the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? How had that happened?

"Ah, Miss Cafferty. Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak with you." The Ravenclaws turned when Flitwick's voice floated up to them.

Erin's face paled. Aurora found herself reaching out and squeezing Erin's hand. "Good luck," she said.

For a moment, Aurora thought Erin might cry. But she inhaled shakily, a breath of a smile on her face.

Erin didn't come back that morning.

"Maybe they brought her guardian here," Basil said.

Aurora paced beneath the beech tree, wringing her hands. "Something's wrong."

Kim and Jamie were still hanging around with the other students, trying to make sense out of Quirrell's apparent death. It was just Basil with her now, lounging under the tree, sighing when she paced in front of him again.

"Maybe she's already back in the common room," he said.

"No, I told her to meet me back out here."

"Well, maybe she needed to be alone for a bit first."

Aurora stopped pacing, her heart thumping loudly. She stared at Basil. "Because she thinks nobody wants her," she whispered. She hurtled into the castle, Basil calling after her.

Erin stood inside the doorway to the Entrance Hall, jumping back as Aurora almost knocked her over.

"Oh! You're back! What happened?" Aurora asked, her eyes roving over her friend's face.

Erin's eyes were red and puffy, tears still hanging in the corners. She shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Nobody will take me."

"We'll take you," Aurora said, grabbing her hands.

Erin choked out a half-laugh, half-sob. "Funny."

"I'm not joking. I've already asked Father about it."

"And he agreed?" Erin asked, brows knit together in a puzzled frown.

"Well—"

Erin waved her away. "Dumbledore said he has no other options. I'm to go to an orphanage in London."

"No!" Aurora's hands clenched at her sides. She grabbed Erin's arm and dragged her towards the dungeons. "Come on."

"Aurora, where are we going?" Erin asked.

"We have to talk to Father."

"What? Why?"

"He made a promise," Aurora said. "And I'm going to make sure he keeps it."

Severus looked up from the exams he was grading as the door to his office swung open. Aurora and Erin stood there, Aurora's face set in an expression of grim determination.

"If you've come looking for information on Potter—"

"No. You said if Professor Dumbledore couldn't find a guardian for Erin that we'd take her in. Well, he's just told her she has nowhere to go."

Severus pressed his lips together. The headmaster might have given him some notice before he told the girl nobody wanted her. "I said I would give the matter some thought."

"What is there to think about?" Aurora asked. She planted her hands on her hips, her eyes darkening with anger.

His annoyance flared. "A great number of things," he said coolly. "And I will keep my word; I'll consider it."

"No," Aurora said.

Severus's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Erin pulled at Aurora's shirt. "C'mon, Aurora. It's okay." There were tears in her eyes.

Aurora didn't budge. "You already know what you're going to do; you knew last week when you told me you'd think about it. You could at least have the decency to say you don't give a damn to her face."

"Aurora!" Erin gasped.

"I've warned you before about your language," Severus said. "If you think to shock me into giving you what you want, you're very much mistaken. Clearly you learned nothing of me this term. You are right about one thing: Miss Cafferty deserves to hear my decision first-hand. And once I make it, she will. Now, I suggest you enjoy the last few days of term as best you can and leave me to grade exams."

Aurora's hands were still clenched. Erin was halfway through the classroom, calling back to her friend. "Please, Father," she said quietly. "Somebody has to care about her."

He said nothing, crossing his arms and fixing an irritated glare at her. After a moment, she sighed and turned, joining Erin in the classroom.

Once the sound of the door closing reached him, Severus let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against his desk. Aurora was right. He had already made up his mind.

Merlin help him.

"You shouldn't have done that," Erin said as they walked away. "He'll say no out of spite now."

"No," Aurora said, squeezing her arm. "I want to believe he'll say yes."

"I appreciate you trying," Erin said. "But I haven't seen anything about staying with you. I don't think it's going to happen."

"You said yourself that you don't always know everything. Don't give up hope yet. And I know it isn't the perfect option, having to be around my father all the time, but it was the only thing I could think of."

"I wouldn't think you'd want to be around me all summer," Erin said.

Aurora sighed. "Being with my best friend every day sounds like the perfect option."

Erin's eyes shimmered. "We shouldn't get our hopes up."

Aurora nodded, her heart breaking at the resignation on Erin's face.

_Please, Father. Don't let me down._

"What happened to you guys?" Kim and Jamie met them in the Entrance hall, smiles of greeting dying at Erin's and Aurora's grim faces.

"Nothing," Erin said. She gave Aurora a look that clearly said, 'Don't tell them'. "I don't want to talk about it."

She walked away with her dormmates and headed up the stairs toward Ravenclaw Tower. Aurora stayed in the hall, unsure of what else she could do.

"Is she okay?" Basil's voice was soft, right beside her ear.

Aurora turned. "No."

He nodded, staring after her. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No," she whispered.

Basil hesitated, then put his arm around her. Aurora slipped her arm around his back and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she said after several minutes of comfortable silence.

"For what?"

"Not pressing it. Not asking how you can fix it. Just letting me be."

"You're welcome. If it makes you feel any better, I talked to Ron earlier. He said they were only avoiding us—you, really—because they thought Snape was the one going after the Stone. They didn't want you to know they were looking."

Aurora lifted her head, her face a mask of confusion. "What?"

"Something about his leg at Halloween and part of a conversation Harry overheard."

"Idiots," Aurora muttered. "So _I'm_ the reason he and Erin broke up? Because they couldn't be around me?"

"Maybe a part of it," Basil said. "But if there was anything real there—on his part, I mean—I think he'd have found a way to still see her, you know?"

Aurora stared at him, but he was looking up the stairs.

_We're all just kids,_ she thought.

"Playing at games we don't understand," she muttered under her breath.

"That's four children almost dead this term, Albus. A record, isn't it?" Severus asked, his tone crisp. He sat in Albus's office that evening, eyeing the headmaster with irritation. This had been the first opportunity the headmaster had to chat about what had happened between Harry and Quirrell.

Another child hurt. _Her_ child. Because he'd made the wrong decision. Again.

" _Almost_ ," Albus said.

Severus smirked. "Will I have to pledge protection to every student that walks into this school in order to ensure they walk out at the end of the year?"

"It is not the worst idea you've had."

Severus cleared his throat. There was never going to be a good time to do this. "Albus, I've made a decision. About the Cafferty girl."

A smile tugged at Albus's lips, but he feigned surprise. "Oh? And what is that?"

"She and Aurora are still close friends."

"Yes, I know. But that wasn't a decision _you_ made."

"No. I—" he hesitated. Was he being an idiot? Aurora's voice rang through his head. _Someone has to care about her._ But why did it have to be him? He didn't care about the girl, not really. What he cared about was the tenuous bond he and Aurora had built this term. Did that really mean he had to take in every waif that had nowhere else to go? Spinner's End was already damned crowded, and even magical expansion had its limits. "You're sure there is nobody willing to take her?"

"I'm afraid not. The Ministry has already sent word to the orphanage in London to expect her."

_Dammit._ "Then I will," he said at last.

"Are you certain this is what you want?"

"Of course it isn't," Severus said shortly. "What I want is for her to have family that gives a damn about her. But they're all too scared of ghosts to take her in. Spinner's End seems to thrive on misfits."

"What have Malichi and Steven to say?"

"It isn't their decision," Severus said, feeling a stab of guilt for not even conferring with the other men. "It's my house."

Albus shrugged. "It makes little difference. I've also received word that the Ministry will not grant guardianship outside of Miss Cafferty's family."

"What? That's absurd. How do they think orphanages work?" He clenched his jaw. "They have no intention of allowing her the chance to be adopted."

"I'm afraid not," Albus sighed. "I have been trying, with no success, I'm afraid, to get Minister Fudge to listen to reason. But they look at her and see her family. A potential threat, should she wind up in the wrong environment."

"Which they're going to throw her into," Severus said. "Perhaps you should remind them of another student forced to return to an orphanage every summer. It didn't prevent _him_ from becoming a threat."

"Cornelius refuses to listen to reason," Albus said. "Which is why I have not told him the entire truth about the Stone, and what transpired between Harry and Professor Quirrell."

Severus sat straighter, eyes squinting at the headmaster. "But you're going to tell me?"

"Yes. Because it affects you directly. Quirrell went after the Stone because Lord Voldemort was possessing him."

Severus's blood froze. The Dark Lord had been in this castle, the entire term. His skin crawled. "Did you know? Before today, I mean."

"I had suspicions."

"And that's why you ordered me not to stop him?"

"He wasn't going to get to the Stone, as I've said. Not alone."

Severus paled, his back rigid, reading between the headmaster's words. "You thought I'd help him."

"No." Albus's voice was quiet.

And suddenly he understood. He stood abruptly, sending the chair scraping across the floor. Severus wasn't a fool; he knew that Albus had his own agenda. But this—

"You _wanted_ Potter to go after him."

Albus didn't deny it. Severus swore.

"After making me swear to protect him, after forcing me to referee that damn Quidditch match in February, after telling me that we had to save him at all costs from the Dark Lord—and you pushed him into a direct confrontation? A _child_?"

"You aren't concerned for Harry, surely?"

"I despise wasting my time," Severus snapped. "And sending children to their deaths. Regardless of their mediocrity and arrogance."

"It is important that Harry be allowed to test his strength," Albus said. "This won't be the last time he'll need to face Voldemort on his own, Severus. That is why we must make sure he's prepared."

Severus's hands clenched at his side. "I will do what you ask of me, to keep the boy safe, as I swore to do the night Lily died."

"Good," Albus said. He stood from his chair and came around his desk to lay a hand on Severus's shoulder.

Severus glared at him.

"It is clear that Voldemort will stop at nothing to return," Albus said quietly. "And so we must be even more vigilant."

More vigilant. Severus felt ill. Before this term, Voldemort's return had been an abstract, a distant improbability. Now it was real, possible. Inevitable.

The weight that had lifted with Nicole Cafferty's death settled back onto his shoulders, and he sagged a bit beneath it.

Aurora. Harry. Now, despite his inability to bring her under his roof, Erin. He had committed to keeping each of them safe.

The damn game was getting harder. But he'd continue playing it. He had no choice.

~The End~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to my beta, to2llyuntraceable at FF.net, and thanks to all who have followed, favorited, and/or reviewed. If you liked this, the prequel is Before Harry Met Sevy, and look for the next installment of the Saga of the Snapes in the first part of 2020!


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